The President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Pharm.Ahmed Yakasai has listed the mission of the newly launched Foundation to include, research and development promotion, advancement of pharmacy education and practice in Nigeria, provision of welfare for pharmacists and Nigerians at large, provision of scholarships to deserving pharmacists and their children, and promotion of national development.
Yakasai made the remarks while addressing the august guests and participants at the official launching of the PSN Foundation and inauguration of the board of trustees of the Foundation, on Tuesday, October 17, at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
He described the event as an epoch making occasion, as PSN in her characteristics way has taken the lead in being the first professional body in Nigeria to launch a foundation.’ For emphasis, it is also on record that PSN is one of the few professional bodies in Sub-Saharan Africa to establish a foundation. This reaffirms our commitment to continue the tradition of our founding fathers and past leaders who have the vision of innovation, service to humanity and professional excellence”.
The extremely excited PSN president explained how he was inspired to pursue the course of the Foundation, having seen what obtains in other climes, then he came home with the idea, which has become a reality today.
His words: “I was particularly inspired to embark on this novel course when I visited the Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) Mumbai, the Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in the Americas (NAPPSA), and the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), and discovered what their well established foundations were doing”.
In spite of the several contributions of the Society to healthcare and national development, such as the success story of PSN-PACHFaH (Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health), he noted that the establishment of the Foundation was still compelling for the sustainability of PSN’s contributions to health care in the country.
“History is being made as PSN in her usual tradition of being pacesetters has taken the initiative to establish a Foundation (platform) which seeks to develop innovative and sustainable approaches to curb the challenges of healthcare delivery and help improve healthcare systems in Nigeria.
“Thus, the PSN Foundation will have the mandate to impact on the welfare and well-being of all Nigerians. The impact on the general public shall be delivered through well articulated Public Health Campaigns and Programmes, Fight Against Fake, Substandard and Falsified drugs, Drug Abuse, Emergency Response (Humanitarian Assistance), Advocacy for Childhood and Family Health Diseases, like Nutrition, Pneumonia and Diarrhoea, Routine Immunisation, HIV/AIDS, Malaria Prevention and Treatment, Non Communicable Diseases and Maternal and Child Health. Our intention is to serve the vulnerable ones within the society to have optimum health”, he stated.
Appreciating all the guests for the time taken to be part of the occasion, he announced the names and designations of members of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation. They include: Pharm. (Alhaji) Mohammed Yaro Budah, as the board chairman; Pharm.Lere Baale, vice chairman; Pharm. Remi Adeseun, secretary; Pharm. Ike John Igwu, treasurer and Pharm.Margaret Ebigwelu-Ibru, public relations officer.
Other members of the Board of Trustees include Gen. (Pharm) Ibrahim Umar Babangida, Rtd; Pharm. Clare Omatseye, Pharm. Joke Bakare, as well as the National Treasurer of PSN and the President of PSN.
