Nigeria’s importation of 70 per cent pharmaceuticals unacceptable – Pharm Ukwu

Industrial pharmacist Henrietta Ukwu has declared that Nigeria’s reliance on imported drugs—estimated at 70 percent—cannot be tolerated and has urged the government to act swiftly to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign medicines.

Ukwu described the situation as both alarming and regrettable, emphasizing that the high import ratio poses a serious challenge to national health security.

She voiced these concerns during her keynote address at the 29th Annual National Conference of the Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria, which took place in Ilorin, Kwara State.

In her statement, Ukwu called on the federal government to intensify support for local pharmaceutical manufacturing, arguing that such support would pave the way toward greater health security for the nation.

Speaking on the theme “Nigeria’s Pharmaceutical Industry as a Pillar of National Health, Wealth, and Security,” she insisted that Nigeria must stop relying on external suppliers for medicines and other essential goods.

Ukwu urged the government to tackle the issue, noting, “We have incredible expertise and all it takes to move the pharmaceutical industry forward, but we are not fully harnessing the natural resources Nigeria is endowed with.”

“Number one is the issue of importation of drugs into this country. How do we do that? By investment,” she added.

“When investors see that manufacturers are meeting world standards, they will put their money into the industry, and this will boost the production of pharmaceutical products in Nigeria.”