Nigeria reaffirms commitment to empowering pharmacists for a healthier Nigeria.

Nigeria reaffirms commitment to empowering pharmacists for a healthier Nigeria.

From our journalist

Abuja (Core Reporters) The Federal Government of Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the pharmacy profession and enabling pharmacists to play a greater role in the provision of quality, accessible and safe healthcare services to Nigerians.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said this on Saturday, 25 September 2026 at a ministerial press conference to commemorate World Pharmacists Day 2026, with the theme “Empowering Pharmacists for a Healthier Future”. held in Abuja.

Represented by the Director, who oversees the Office of the Permanent Secretary and Director, Human Resource Management, Mrs Tetshoma Dafeta, the Minister, described pharmacists as among the most accessible frontline healthcare professionals in Nigeria, highlighting their vital contribution to the provision of medicines, preventive care, chronic disease management, patient safety and rational use of medicines.

He highlighted that pharmacists operate at the intersection of clinical care, scientific innovation and public health delivery, making their profession indispensable for developing resilient and future-ready healthcare systems.

The Coordinating Minister said that in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is pursuing reforms aimed at strengthening pharmacy practice, including expanding the role of pharmacists in primary healthcare and specialty care, promoting regulated e-pharmacies and digital health platforms, supporting local pharmaceutical manufacturing, and strengthening enforcement of substandard and falsified medical products through enforcement agencies. competent regulations.

He noted that the pharmaceutical sector has seen progress in clinical integration, pharmacovigilance and pharmaceutical research, while highlighting the need for sustained investment in workforce development, pharmacy training, clinical residency programs, continuing professional development, workplace infrastructure, innovation and research.

He also called for stronger multidisciplinary collaboration between pharmacists, doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to improve patient outcomes.

Prof. Pate expressed appreciation to professional bodies, development partners, academia and private sector stakeholders for their contribution to strengthening Nigeria’s pharmaceutical and healthcare systems.

He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to creating an enabling environment where pharmacists are adequately equipped, supported and recognised, stressing that “a healthier Nigeria is impossible without an empowered pharmaceutical workforce”.

In her welcome address, the Director of Food and Pharmaceutical Services, Mrs Olufowubi-Yusuf Adeola mni, explained that pharmacists play a vital role in promoting the safe and effective use of medicines, counseling patients, improving medication adherence and preventing harmful drug interactions and medication-related errors.

He added that their accessibility within communities also positions them to support public health interventions, including health education, vaccination awareness, antimicrobial stewardship and chronic disease management.

The Director also highlighted the need to equip pharmacists with the appropriate skills, tools and a supportive professional environment to respond to emerging health challenges, including antimicrobial resistance, unsafe therapeutic practices and substandard and falsified medicines. He highlighted the importance of embracing innovations such as telepharmacy and digital health technologies to improve access to pharmaceutical care.

Ms Adeola, called for continued collaboration between government, regulators, healthcare providers, development partners, the private sector and the media to strengthen pharmaceutical services and improve health outcomes.

In their separate goodwill messages, development partners and other key stakeholders reaffirmed their support and commitment to strengthening the pharmacy profession and more effectively integrating pharmacists into the Nigerian healthcare system.

The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Christiannah Adeyeye, through her representative, Pharm.(Mrs) Chizoba Maduagwuna, Director of the Greater FCT, described pharmacists as indispensable members of the healthcare team, highlighting their vital role in promoting the rational use of medicines, providing professional advice, supporting patients and contributing to improved health outcomes across the healthcare continuum.

He stressed that access to medicines must be accompanied by assurance that medicines are safe, effective, of good quality and used correctly. According to her, this makes pharmacists particularly important to NAFDAC’s mandate to protect the health of Nigerians.

Speaking through his representative, Yusuf Ibrahim, the Director General of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, described pharmacists as indispensable to the achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), stressing that access to healthcare is incomplete without access to safe, affordable and effective medicines.

He said the NHIA will continue to strengthen collaboration with pharmacists, streamline drug formularies, improve reimbursement processes and integrate pharmaceutical care into quality assurance frameworks.

Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative to Unlock the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), Dr. Abdul Mukhtar, represented at the event by Muhammed Balarabe, Head of Ecosystem Enablement, highlighted the critical role of pharmacists in the industrialization of the Nigerian pharmaceutical sector.

He noted that the initiative’s efforts to strengthen local pharmaceutical manufacturing could not be successful without the active participation of pharmacists, assuring that PVAC will continue to collaborate with the profession and other stakeholders to build a stronger healthcare value chain.

Representatives of Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Pharm. Adeola Adeyemo and SMOKO Nigeria Limited, Dr. Uchechukwu Lewis Nwokorie and Results for Development (R4D) Pharm. Jeremiah Ilo, also commended pharmacists for their contribution to medicine safety, patient counseling, supply chain management and improving health outcomes.

Presenting a vote of thanks, Pharm. Talatu Kassim, Director of the Pharmaceutical Service, expressed appreciation for the support received from the Ministry, development partners and other stakeholders, adding that this indicates a commitment towards the empowerment of pharmacists and the pharmaceutical profession.