By DESMOND EJIBAS

The Nigeria Association of Pharmacists in Academia (NAPA) has called on the Federal Government to urgently address the growing shortage of academic pharmacists in the country.

Prof. Catherine Stanley, National Chairperson of NAPA, made the appeal on Wednesday during the opening of the 23rd Annual National Scientific Conference of NAPA, held at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).

The event had the theme as: ?Pharmacy Practice in the New Global Economy: Education, Technology and Collaborations?.

Stanley attributed the shortage of pharmacists to increasing migration of young professionals to Europe and North America in search of better opportunities.

She described pharmacists in academia as ?an endangered species,? citing their migration to foreign countries and the lack of replacements for retirees and deceased colleagues.

?There is an acute shortage of needed manpower in critical sectors of pharmacy education.

?This trend should not be allowed to continue,? she pleaded.

Stanley urged the government to prioritise the welfare of academic pharmacists to ensure sustainability in pharmaceutical education and research.

According to her, the current situation poses a threat to the future of pharmacy training and healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

In a keynote address, Prof. Charles Esimone, a former Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Enugu, attributed the dearth of pharmacists to new global challenges confronting the profession.

Discussing the theme of the conference, Esimone noted that the world was more interconnected than ever, and blamed globalisation for some of the difficulties facing the education sector.

He stressed the need to balance local requirements with a global outlook.

?This realisation has fuelled a push towards purposeful best practices in curriculum development, faculty exchanges, and addressing regulatory issues across borders.

?Our curricula must train pharmacists to be effective both locally and globally, ably to understand local health traditions while applying international standards,? he said.

Esimone explained that the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and other global bodies have been working on developing a Global Competency Framework to harmonise pharmacist training worldwide.

He said that the goal was to align education with the competences required to deliver essential services in any country.

He also highlighted the impact of advances in technology, which are revolutionising every aspect of pharmacy practice ? from dispensing processes to patient counselling ? noting that the pace of change was accelerating.

?Pharmacies have increasingly embraced digital health tools, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance their services.

?However, technology in pharmacy is a double-edge sword. It can greatly enhance our practice but must be wielded with care,? he warned.

On his part, UNIPORT Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, called on pharmacists in academia to adopt practical and innovative approaches that would transform pharmacy education and practice in Nigeria.

Represented by the institution?s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Chukwudi Onyeasor, Georgewill urged practitioners to move beyond theoretical discourse, embrace technology, strengthen collaborations, and align pharmacy with global standards.

?This is necessary to produce professionals who are equipped to serve a rapidly evolving healthcare system,? he concluded.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference brought together pharmacists, researchers, educators, and policymakers from across the country to discuss innovations and strategies for advancing pharmaceutical practice in Nigeria. (NAN)

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