PSN Canvasses Investment in Pharmaceutical Education to Boost Health Security

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has called on the federal and state governments to prioritise strategic investment in pharmaceutical education, describing it as a fundamental pillar for national security and the attainment of healthcare self-sufficiency.

This formed the crux of deliberations at the 2026 Pharmacy Colloquium, held at the Government House in Yola, Adamawa State. Stakeholders at the high-level gathering maintained that Nigeria’s healthcare aspirations would remain elusive without a modern, well-funded, and forward-looking educational framework.

The Society warned that without deliberate funding for specialised training and domestic manufacturing, Nigeria’s health security will remain at risk.

Leading the advocacy, the President of the PSN, Pharm. Ayuba Ibrahim, underscored the fact that pharmacy education must be repositioned as a strategic national investment.

He stated that the transition of pharmaceutical education from a standard degree to the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) certification alongside the strengthening of the National Postgraduate College of Pharmacy would produce a workforce capable of reducing Nigeria’s over-reliance on imported medicines.

Furthermore, he emphasised the need to reinforce the Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) and called for the expansion of the Consultant Pharmacist cadre to curb the persistent “brain drain” currently affecting the sector.

In his keynote address, Pharm. Cyril Odianose Usifoh identified a disconnect between academic qualifications and clinical outcomes, advocating for a shift towards competency-based training.

He stressed the importance of incorporating artificial intelligence, digital health, and patient-centred care into the curriculum while urging the government to standardise and commercialise Nigeria’s rich biodiversity in phytomedicine to drive economic growth, noting that such progress is anchored in the provisions of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) Act 2022.

The colloquium attracted several key dignitaries, including the Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Bathiya Wesley, and the Chairman of the PSN Board of Trustees, Pharm. Jimi Agbaje.

Declaring the event open, the Governor of Adamawa State, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri represented by the Deputy Governor, Professor Kaletapwa Farauta, announced the approval for the establishment of a College of Pharmacy at the Adamawa State University, Mubi, to boost the state’s capacity for producing world-class pharmaceutical professionals.