Honourable Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, has described the country’s pharmaceutical and health care sector as a lucrative investment destination for the international community.
She stated this at the 2013 annual Scientific Conference and Exposition of the Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in the Americas (NAPPSA) held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 19-22, with the theme: “Global Trends in Health care Delivery: Partnering and Building Sustainable Pharmaceutical Bridges.”
Prof. Onwuliri was at the conference to represent President Goodluck Jonathan, alongside a high-powered team, comprising three federal ministers, the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr Paul Orhii, and several senior government officials.
The minister disclosed that President Jonathan was reiterating his invitation to NAPPSA and its members to partner with his government to advance the pharmaceutical sector and delivery of improved health care to all Nigerians.
Also speaking at the conference, the Honourable Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment,Dr.OlusegunAganga, gave an illuminating presentation on the topic, “Opportunities for Trade and Investment in the Nigerian Pharmaceutical Sector”, while Prof. Chinedu Nebo, Honourable Minister of Power, Federal Republic of Nigeria gave an equally engaging presentation on”Infrastructural Requirements for Transforming the Nigerian Healthcare Sector”.
The conference keynote address was delivered by Prof. OsagieImasogie, founder and senior managing partner, Phoenix IP Ventures LLC, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Speaking on the topic,”Building a Sustainable Innovative Pharmaceutical Sector: Lessons for the Emerging Economies,”Prof.Imasogie presented data to supportemphasis on the need for the Nigerian government to invest in the local pharmaceutical sector, both as an economic matter and to provide improved health care to its people.
In response to President Jonathan’s call, NAPPSA, through its president,FunmiAjayi, Ph.D., and immediate past president, NnodumIheme., RPh, commended the commitment of the FG in ensuring a successful outcome of the 2013 NAPPSA Conference, adding that the Association was delighted to accept President Jonathan’s renewed call for partnership, in order to advance healthcare innovation and delivery to the people of Nigeria.
The Association seized the opportunity to call on the president to order reopening of dialogue on prior partnering initiatives, including the 2011 Health Care Summit held in Abuja by NAPPSA. It also requested the federal government to develop and implement a “roadmap” to make Nigeria a major participant in the worldwide pharmaceutical enterprise, adding that such initiatives would help to alleviate poverty and achieve Nigeria’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
NAPPSA further entreated the president to designate a position for NAPPSA to the Governing Board of PCN.
NAPPSA is a US-registered non-profit organisation, which serves Nigerian pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, allied scientists and the academia in the Americas.
well done