3 weeks ago
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By Chioma Obinna
Pharmaceutical manufacture leaders connected Tuesday urged the Federal Government to prioritise pharmaceutical innovation, exertion adoption, and section accumulation of indispensable cause ingredients arsenic a pathway to nationalist improvement and wellness security.
Making the telephone up of the 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM), Valedictory Session, and Investiture of Fellows of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAPHARM), scheduled to clasp from October 15 to 16, they insisted that innovation is the backbone of nationalist improvement and the aboriginal of healthcare delivery.
At a pre-event property conference, Pharm. (Dr.) Ahmed Yakassai, Vice President 2 of NAPHARM and erstwhile President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), said innovation is nary longer optional for the pharmacy assemblage but a necessity for Nigeria’s endurance successful the planetary wellness economy.
He said: “Without innovation, technology, and creativity, you’ll beryllium near behind. COVID-19 showed america that without pharmaceutical innovation, a federation tin beryllium crippled. During the pandemic, countries that could not nutrient their ain medicines suffered the most.”
He noted that NAPHARM has continued to thrust advocacy, mentorship, and organization reforms to beforehand innovation and fortify the relation of pharmacists successful healthcare delivery.
“Pharmacy is not a section profession; it’s a planetary one,” helium said. “In the adjacent 2 years, if we don’t clasp innovation and technology, we volition beryllium wholly near behind. From cause organisation to combating falsified medicines, innovation is key.”
Yakassai besides disclosed plans to found the NAPHARM Research and Innovation Centre, a forward-looking instauration designed to thrust indigenous pharmaceutical research, innovation, and argumentation engagement.
“As Nigeria pursues self-reliance successful healthcare and a diversified, knowledge-driven economy, the pharmaceutical assemblage indispensable basal astatine the bosom of that transformation,” helium said.
Speaking connected the Academy’s achievements, Yakassai said NAPHARM has intensified advocacy for authorities to prioritise pharmacists done amended remuneration, wide vocation pathways, and integration into superior healthcare.
He besides paid tribute to the precocious Pharm. (Chief) Oludolapo Ibukun Akinkugbe, 1 of the founding fathers of pharmacy successful Nigeria, whose valedictory league volition signifier portion of this year’s AGM.
Also speaking, Pharm. Lolo Ojo, Director of Programmes, NAPHARM, besides stressed that pharmaceutical innovation is important for Nigeria’s economical betterment and occupation creation.
“The pharmaceutical manufacture tin beryllium a large operator of GDP growth,” Ojo said. “One planetary institution unsocial had a turnover of $59 cardinal past twelvemonth — much than Nigeria’s nationalist budget. Imagine what our system could summation if we invested strategically successful section accumulation and research.”
They called for urgent concern successful section Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) accumulation to trim dependence connected imports.
“We person crude oil, yet we inactive import earthy materials to marque drugs,” Yakassai said. “If we tin found section API accumulation done petrochemical industries, we tin execute existent medicine security.”
Speaking, erstwhile GSK Managing Director, Pharm. Lekan Asuni, besides urged person collaboration betwixt regulators, academia, and the media to fortify pharmacovigilance and combat antimicrobial resistance.
“Healthcare without medicine is nothing,” Yakassai added. “Innovation is not optional. If we neglect to put successful exertion and probe now, we volition proceed to beryllium connected different nations for our wellness and our future.”
The Academy said the two-day lawsuit volition besides diagnostic the induction of 14 caller Fellows, 4 Lifetime Achievement Awards, and six Honorary Fellows, with hybrid information via PharmaStreamTV connected YouTube and Zoom for a planetary audience.
Yakassai said: “Together, we indispensable physique a pharmacy assemblage that heals, leads, and transforms. Pharmaceutical innovation is the span betwixt health, science, and nationalist improvement — and Nigeria indispensable not beryllium near behind.”
The station NAPHARM to FG: Investing successful pharmaceutical innovation’ll boost economy appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.
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