Stakeholders in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry have called for bold and deliberate action to scale up local drug manufacturing and reduce overdependence on imports, warning that failure to act now could see the country perpetually lag behind global peers.
The call was made at the 28th Annual National Conference of the Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP), held on 25 June, 2025, at the Citadel, Oregun, Lagos.
With the theme “Scale, Innovation, and Transformation of the Nigerian Pharmaceutical Industry,” the conference brought together key industry players, policymakers, and stakeholders who all deliberated on practical strategies for repositioning the sector.
In his remarks, the chairman of the occasion, who is the Managing Director of Juhel Pharmaceuticals, Dr Ifeanyi Okoye, warned that Nigeria risks being left behind if stakeholders fail to implement concrete actions.
Dr Okoye, who was ably represented by the Managing Director, Alpha Pharmacy, Pharm. Ike Onyechi, noted that a big plan not executed remains a mere dream. He cited the example of India, where decades-old government policies mandating local production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) transformed the country into a global pharmaceutical powerhouse.
He urged Nigeria to adopt similar deliberate policies and partnerships to build local capacity. He said “Our DNA as Nigerians is not to be comfortable importing and assembling medicines. We must act like the young lion that awakens to its true identity and joins its rightful place among leaders.”
In his goodwill message, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Pharm. Tanko Ayuba, commended NAIP’s growth, describing the association as a model of rapid progress among PSN’s technical groups. He urged industrial pharmacists to elect leaders committed to building on the achievements of the outgoing NAIP leadership.
Reflecting on his tenure, the outgoing NAIP National Chairman, Pharm. Ken Onuegbu, highlighted notable progress made in promoting local pharmaceutical manufacturing, stating that the narrative has changed from what it used to be though the industry is still far from the desired destination.
Pharm. Onuegbu said “When we began this journey in 2021, we were clear that unlocking the healthcare value chain through local production was the most sustainable path to medicine security. Today, Nigeria boasts over 170 pharmaceutical manufacturing plants, up from about 120 six years ago.”
He also noted a shift in the medicine supply ratio from 30 percent local production and 70 percent imports to a more encouraging 40-60 split, with the ultimate goal of reversing the ratio entirely in favour of local manufacturing.
Onuegbu stressed the need to invest in digital health competencies, artificial intelligence, robotics, and other emerging technologies to drive innovation and sustainable growth in the sector.
Earlier in his remark, the Chairman of the Organising Committee, Pharm. Jude Abonu, urged participants to engage actively and ensure the conference outcomes translate into measurable change. He said “This is a defining moment for Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry. Talking alone is not enough. We must move from ideas to implementation, from dependence to self-sufficiency.”
While harping on the urgent need to scale, innovate and transform the Nigeria pharma sector, the chairman, board of trustee of NAIP, Prof. Lere Baale pointed out that the expected transformation of the Nigeria pharma industry cannot be on Nigeria alone but also across borders.
The chairman of the Board of Fellow of the PSN, Pharm. Uchenna Apakama called for an immediate public- private partnership arrangement to establish an API plant in Nigeria.
Delivering the keynote address, the keynote speaker, Dr Margaret Ilomuanya, a renowned researcher and innovator at the Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Lagos shared insights on accelerating local drug production and achieving pharmaceutical independence.
Dr Ilomuanya called for urgent action to scale up Nigeria’s local pharmaceutical production, warning that the country’s heavy dependence on imported medicines is a major threat to health security and economic growth.
She stressed that Nigeria’s pharmaceutical market, currently worth $2.8 billion and could grow to over $5 billion by 2028, but only if the country invests in local manufacturing, research, and skilled workforce. “We can create over 100,000 new jobs and secure affordable medicines for our people, but we must move from policies to real, practical action,” Dr Ilomuanya said.
According to the keynote speaker, if the industry must develop, there is a need for movement from Nigeria labs to the global market.
The researcher also urged industry leaders to offer sabbatical placements for university researchers to bridge the gap between labs and factories, and warne⁸d that many Nigerian innovations risk being lost to foreign companies if local industries fail to act.
“Health security cannot be outsourced. If we don’t produce here, we will buy it back at a higher cost later,” she added.
Ilomuanya emphasised that Nigeria’s pharmaceutical future depends on home-grown solutions, stronger academic-industry collaboration, and serious investments in innovation, manufacturing, and infrastructure.
Some of the participants who spoke at the conference expressed optimism that the Nigerian pharmaceutical sector can overcome existing challenges through strategic collaboration, investment, and a renewed commitment to local production.
There was however a unanimous call for stakeholders to translate discussions into decisive action aimed at transforming Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry into a globally competitive and make Nigeria less import dependent.
