Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has charged pharmacists in the country to rise to the challenge of ensuring some level of sufficiency in local drug manufacturing.
Speaking at the inauguration of the governing council of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, (PCN), Ehanire said the inability of the nation to meet its need of simple things such as face masks, surgical gloves, plaster, cotton bandage, and other related items must be addressed.
“The council should also refocus the various aspects of the profession to meet up with the realities of today. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to fore the vulnerability of the nation as it concern medicines security.
“It is, therefore, paramount that the profession of pharmacy in Nigeria immediately starts to think of new ways of doing things because a situation where the focus is on importation of finished products is clearly not acceptable,” he said.
The minister said that strategies must be developed to utilise local resources for the production of pharmaceutical raw materials for both excipients and active pharmaceutical ingredients.
“Our maize, yam, cassava, fruits and many others that go into waste due to poor storage need to be put into meaningful use for the pharmaceutical industry. The nation’s vast petroleum resources need to be also exploited,” he said.
