The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, PMG-MAN, is urging the Federal Government to cut energy costs and strengthen policies on Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, APIs, to make local drug production competitive and help Nigeria achieve medicine security.
The call was made in Lagos on Thursday at a media briefing ahead of the 8th Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers’ Expo, NPME 2026, scheduled for September 28 and 29 at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Speaking on behalf of PMG-MAN Chairman and Managing Director of Daily-Need Industries Limited, Mr. Oluwatosin Jolayemi, the Chairman of the Exhibition Planning Committee and MD/CEO of May & Baker Nigeria Plc, Dr. Patrick Ajah, said the industry remains focused on raising local production to 70 percent.
“The sector has grown from 20 pioneer members in 1983 to more than 200 manufacturing companies. We remain committed to reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported medicines,” Ajah said.
He added that this year’s expo, themed “Regional Manufacturing: Advancing Africa’s Pharma and Life Science Sovereignty through Localisation,” will bring together manufacturers, policymakers, investors, technology providers and other stakeholders to discuss how to deepen local pharmaceutical production.
*Energy and input costs cited as biggest threats*
PMG-MAN Executive Secretary and CEO, Pharm. Frank Muonemeh, said the industry has recorded significant progress in recent years. Citing NAFDAC data, he noted that imports of finished pharmaceuticals dropped from 4.03 billion units to 1.13 billion units as of 2025.
But he warned that high energy costs and delayed clearance of pharmaceutical inputs are undermining competitiveness.
“Companies are spending more than 40 percent of their revenue on electricity and alternative power generation, compared with less than 10 percent among competitors in countries such as China and India,” Muonemeh said.
To address this, the group is asking the government to introduce targeted interventions, including dedicated industrial energy tariffs. It also wants stronger policies to encourage local production of APIs and other pharmaceutical inputs.
PMG-MAN further appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to extend the Presidential Executive Order supporting the pharmaceutical sector from the current two-year cycle to a five-year framework. The group argued that longer policy stability would attract investment and consolidate gains in local manufacturing.
*Expo to focus on tech transfer and regional trade*
Organisers said NPME 2026 will feature discussions on technology transfer, regulatory harmonisation, market access, contract manufacturing, joint ventures and cross-border market integration.
More than 200 exhibitors and nearly 10,000 industry professionals are expected to participate.
According to PMG-MAN, the event is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and advance medicine security across Africa.
