In a bold move to safeguard Nigeria’s pharmaceutical supply chain, key stakeholders in the pharmacy profession have reiterated the urgent need to dismantle open drug markets (ODMs) across the country.
This consensus was reached during the April 2025 edition of the Point Blank Dialogue, organised by the Pharmacists Affairs Group and held virtually on 26 April via Zoom.
Themed “Circumventing the Impact of Open Drug Markets on Nigeria’s Pharmaceutical Supply Chain,” the event attracted a high-level audience of pharmacists, policymakers, regulators, academics, and healthcare professionals. Discussions centred on how unregulated drug markets continue to threaten public health, undermine pharmaceutical standards, and erode the country’s economic potential.
According to a communiqué issued at the end of the programme by Pharm. Taoheed Arogundade and endorsed by the Board of Administrators, Pharmacists Affairs Group, participants highlighted the historical origins of ODMs in the unintended consequences of the Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMV) scheme.
Originally established to provide pharmaceutical access in underserved communities, the PPMV model, in the absence of effective regulatory oversight, evolved into a system that now fuels widespread medicine counterfeiting and distribution of substandard products.
Stakeholders lamented the longstanding regulatory gaps, which date back to 1936, and noted that the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) only received clear statutory authority over PPMVs with the passage of the Pharmacy Act 2022, saying despite federal efforts to reform the distribution system through the creation of Central Wholesale Centres (CWCs), only Kano State has successfully implemented its CWC, while other regions lag behind.
The dialogue featured prominent industry voices including Pharm. Anthony Bola Oyawole, former chairman of PSN Lagos State; Pharm Ogheneochuko Omaruaye, chairman of the Pharmaceutical Wholesalers and Distributors Association of Nigeria (PWDAN) and CEO of New Heights Pharmaceuticals Limited; as well as Pharm Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, registrar of the PCN, who served as special guest of honour.
Drawing from data cited during the session, the communiqué revealed that open drug markets have cost the nation’s pharmaceutical industry over ₦200 billion annually through revenue losses and illicit sales. It also referenced World Health Organisation statistics indicating a 49.6 percent prevalence of counterfeit drugs in Nigeria as far back as 1998, with nearly 13 percent of mortality rates linked to consumption of unregulated medicines.
While commending PCN and NAFDAC for the successful shutdown of the Sabon-Gari open drug market in Kano and its relocation to the Kanawa Pharmaceutical Wholesale Centre, participants called for the replication of this model across other major drug distribution hubs, including Onitsha and Lagos. They further expressed concern about the lack of synergy among regulatory agencies, weak enforcement, and the unchecked activities of pharmaceutical representatives whose sales practices often contravene ethical standards.
The stakeholders issued a series of resolutions to curb the menace. These include the immediate fast-tracking of CWCs in all approved states, formation of a task force under “Operation Close ODMs,” enforcement of sanctions against violators, and deployment of blockchain technology to enhance traceability in the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Also recommended were expanded partnerships with professional wholesaler networks like PWDAN and APDA, prioritisation of local manufacturing with the support of intervention funds, and public education through a national #DrugSafetyNG campaign.
The communiqué called on the Nigerian Governors’ Forum to declare ODMs a public health emergency and urged the National Assembly to expedite the passage of the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Bill 2025.
Participants also stressed the importance of stronger regulatory control over donor agencies, review of licensing and premises requirements, and the classification of non-pharmacist wholesalers as PPMVs. In addition, the Pharmacy Council was tasked with increasing surveillance on unregistered outlets, supermarkets, and beauty stores selling medicines or supplements without regulatory approval.
In a strong show of professional unity, participants resolved to reconvene in October 2025 for a follow-up edition of the Point Blank Dialogue to assess progress made on the outlined action plans. A six-month scorecard report is also expected to be published, detailing updates on CWC establishment, closure of illegal drug markets, and overall improvements in the pharmaceutical distribution framework.
The April 2025 Point Blank Dialogue, according to the communique, reaffirmed the Pharmacists Affairs Group’s commitment to strengthening pharmaceutical governance, promoting ethical distribution practices, and safeguarding the health of Nigerians through collaborative reform.
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