A former chairman of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Anthony Oyawole, says Nigeria has recorded significant progress in local drug manufacturing, with production of basic pharmaceuticals now moving from 40 per cent to nearly 60 per cent.

Speaking on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, The Morning Brief on Thursday, Oyawole said the country is gradually building its medicine security capacity.

“We are producing about 50 to 60 percent of the basic drugs we need in the country because the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria is really working assiduously with government,” he said.

According to him, this is crucial to avoid reliance on imports during health emergencies, recalling how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains.

“It got as bad as a situation where in India they banned the exportation of about 20 medications, even as common as paracetamol, because they were thinking of their own security,” he said.

Oyawole explained that Nigerian pharmaceutical firms are now WHO-qualified and capable of manufacturing medicines not only for local use but also for international markets, including Europe and America.

He noted that production of essential drugs such as antimalarials, multivitamins, analgesics, and other medicines for common ailments is now being driven locally.

He, however, acknowledged that some medicines still need to be imported, stressing that government policies must ensure these are made available at affordable prices for Nigerians.

“There are some medications that we still have to bring into the country, and the government is trying to put up policies that will make sure that when they are in, the prices are affordable,” he added.

Oyawole’s remarks come as Nigeria joined the global community to mark World Pharmacists Day, with this year’s theme being “Think Health, Think Pharmacy.”

He described the day as an opportunity to highlight the strategic role pharmacists play in strengthening national health systems and ensuring access to safe, quality medicines. (Channels TV)