At the recently concluded Nigeria Pharma Health Expo 2026, held at the Balmoral Hall of Sheraton Lagos Hotel from 12 to 13 May, healthcare and pharmaceutical stakeholders from across Nigeria and beyond gathered to explore new opportunities for collaboration, innovation and industry growth. At the centre of the successful hosting of the high-level event was Joseph Chukwu, managing director of Plough Events Limited, a company recognised for organising impactful business-to-business events across various industries and countries. Armed with a background in Biochemistry and years of experience in corporate event management, Chukwu has built a reputation for creating strategic platforms that connect businesses, stimulate partnerships and drive conversations around industry advancement. In this exclusive interview, Patrick Iwelunmor reflects on the vision behind the Expo, the evolving future of healthcare exhibitions in Africa, and the role of collaborative engagement in strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare and pharmaceutical ecosystem. Excerpts:
You are the organiser of the Nigeria Pharma Health Expo. Tell us more about your organisation.
Plough Events Ltd is a Nigerian B2B events company established to promote Nigerian-owned businesses while linking them with global opportunities. Our core focus is on creating platforms that enable local enterprises to showcase their products, innovations and capacities to both local and international stakeholders. We believe Nigeria has enormous potential across different sectors, especially in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, but many indigenous companies still struggle with visibility, partnerships and market access.
Through strategic exhibitions, conferences and networking events, we aim to bridge that gap by connecting Nigerian businesses with investors, policymakers, manufacturers, distributors and development partners from across Africa and beyond. Our vision is not just to organise events, but to create ecosystems where businesses can grow, collaborate and compete favourably on the global stage. The Nigeria Pharma Health Expo is part of that broader mission to strengthen local industries and promote economic development through enterprise.
What gap is the Nigeria Pharma Health Expo trying to bridge?
Currently, close to 70 per cent of pharmaceutical products used in Nigeria are imported. This heavy dependence on imports places enormous pressure on the economy and weakens the value of the naira. It also exposes the country to supply chain disruptions and foreign exchange instability. The Nigeria Pharma Health Expo was created to help address this imbalance by promoting Nigerian pharmaceutical and healthcare brands and highlighting the major challenges that limit local production.
We want to create conversations that move beyond complaints to practical solutions. The idea is to bring manufacturers, regulators, policymakers, investors and other stakeholders to one table so that issues such as infrastructure, access to finance, energy costs, logistics and regulatory bottlenecks can be openly discussed. Our long-term goal is to help strengthen Nigeria’s production capacity to the point where local companies can not only meet domestic demand but also compete strongly within the African market, especially under the African Continental Free Trade Area framework.
That is why more than 65 per cent of our exhibitors are Nigerian brands. We intentionally designed the expo to shine a spotlight on indigenous capacity because we believe Nigerian companies deserve stronger visibility and support.
There are so many pharma and health expos today in Nigeria. What difference is the Nigeria Pharma Health Expo aiming to make in the saturated Nigerian market?
What makes our expo different is that it is deliberately Nigeria-centric. While many pharmaceutical and healthcare exhibitions in the country are heavily dominated by foreign companies, our focus is on promoting Nigerian businesses and indigenous innovation. We are not against international participation, because partnerships are important, but we strongly believe local companies must not be overshadowed in their own market.
Nigeria has brilliant pharmaceutical manufacturers, healthcare entrepreneurs, researchers and innovators who are doing impressive work despite difficult operating conditions. Unfortunately, many of them do not receive the kind of visibility they deserve. Our platform is therefore designed to give Nigerian companies a stronger voice and a more prominent place in industry conversations.
Beyond exhibitions, we are also focused on creating policy conversations that directly affect local players. We want discussions at the expo to translate into action that can improve the operating environment for Nigerian healthcare businesses. In that sense, the event is not just commercial; it is also developmental. We see it as part of a larger national conversation about economic self-reliance, healthcare sustainability and industrial growth.
What can you say about Nigeria’s drive for self-sufficiency in local drug manufacturing?
That is clearly the way to go, and I believe all stakeholders must be involved if Nigeria is serious about achieving meaningful self-sufficiency in local drug manufacturing. No single sector can solve the problem alone. Government, private investors, academia, manufacturers, regulators and supply chain experts all have important roles to play.
Nigeria cannot continue to rely so heavily on imported medicines if we truly want a resilient healthcare system. Local manufacturing is important not only for economic reasons but also for national health security. The COVID-19 pandemic showed many countries the dangers of overdependence on foreign supplies during global emergencies.
That is one of the reasons we partnered with the Africa Centre of Excellence in Supply Chain Management. Through that collaboration, we are creating opportunities to discuss some of the key challenges facing Nigeria’s medical supply chain, including distribution inefficiencies, storage limitations, transportation challenges and raw material sourcing. If we strengthen these systems, local manufacturers will be in a much better position to thrive.
We also need stronger policy consistency, better infrastructure and easier access to financing for manufacturers. Once these issues are addressed, Nigerian pharmaceutical companies can significantly increase production capacity and reduce the nation’s dependence on imports.
How would you rate the participation of Nigerian pharma companies in your expo this year?
The participation was excellent. We reached out to Nigerian pharmaceutical companies, and many of them responded positively because they understand the importance of having a platform dedicated to indigenous brands. Their presence and enthusiasm have been very encouraging for us as organisers.
What is even more exciting is that several companies that could not fully participate this year have already expressed interest in becoming more actively involved in subsequent editions. That shows there is growing confidence in the vision behind the expo.
We are particularly encouraged by the willingness of local companies to collaborate, network and engage in discussions around the future of the healthcare industry. It demonstrates that Nigerian businesses are ready to play a greater role in shaping the sector if given the right support and visibility.
Did you consult the PSN while planning this event, being the umbrella body for all Nigerian pharmacists?
Yes, we did communicate with the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) during the planning process because we recognise the important role they play as the umbrella body for pharmacists in Nigeria. However, due to time constraints and some logistical challenges, we were unable to follow up adequately to secure their full participation at this year’s edition.
That said, we value the role of professional bodies, and we hope to build stronger engagement with them in future editions. The success of the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry depends greatly on collaboration among professional associations, regulators, manufacturers and event organisers. We believe the PSN and similar organisations remain critical stakeholders in the broader conversation about improving healthcare delivery and pharmaceutical practice in Nigeria.
If there’s one piece of advice you ever have to give to the Nigerian government concerning the health sector, what would it be?
My strongest advice would be for the government to intensify the coverage of health insurance across the country. Nigeria cannot sustainably fund healthcare through out-of-pocket payments. Too many citizens are still forced to pay directly for medical services, and this creates serious financial hardship for families, especially during emergencies or chronic illnesses.
Health insurance should become mandatory and accessible for every Nigerian, regardless of social class or location. A stronger insurance system would improve access to healthcare, reduce preventable deaths and encourage more people to seek medical attention early instead of waiting until conditions become severe.
Beyond benefiting patients, wider insurance coverage would also strengthen hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers because there would be a more structured financing system within the sector. Healthcare should not be treated as a privilege for a few people; it should be seen as a national investment. A healthy population is essential for economic productivity and national development.
