The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) is set to confer on the Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe, and the Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare in Nigeria, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the “Honorary Pharmacist” title.

Announced by the President of PSN, Pharm. Prof. Cyril Odianose Usifoh during a courtesy visit to the Obi of Onitsha at his palace, the conferment will take place at the forthcoming PSN 97th Annual National Conference set to hold from Monday 4th November to Saturday 9th November 2024 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

The Obi of Onitsha is a high-ranking traditional ruler in the Eastern part of Nigeria reputable for his outstanding contributions to national growth and development. In the same vein, Prof. Pate will also be honoured for his contributions to the health sector in Nigeria, particularly the pharmaceutical industry.

At the outstanding event where over 4500 pharmacists will be in attendance, Prof. Usifoh highlighted that Coordinating Minister for Health, Prof. Pate will be delivering the keynote address, as the Obi stands as the Chairman of the august occasion.

Usifoh further invited the Obi to visit the tower under construction by PSN at Victoria Island which will be completed soon.

Reacting to the invitation, the Monarch promised to be at the conference, commending the efforts of the body as being professionally active in Nigeria. He stressed that the profession is critically important to human health, saying that a healthy human is needed for the development of a community, nation and the world.

He thereby called on the body to reinforce efforts on the total eradication of the production of fake drugs in the country, faulting the poor and inadequate laboratory facilities in schools and the country as a major cause of the production of fake drugs production in the country.

Igwe Achebe also attributed the high rate of brain drain and massive migration of youths, especially in the pharmaceutical industry in the country, to poor environmental factors in Nigeria, stressing that most of the human resources trained within and with the country’s resources are not willing to practice in Nigeria due to the faulty environment.

Present at the courtesy visit are the, Deputy President, PSN South, Pharm. (Dr.) Egbuna Udeorah; National Secretary of PSN, Pharm. Olanrewaju Gafar Madehin; the Central Planning Committee Chairman for the 97th Annual National Conference, Pharm. (Dr.) Monica Hemben Eimunjeze who was a former Director of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); some executives and leaders of the Anambra PSN and the Managing Director of CEOAFRICA, Prince Cletus Ilobanafor, among others.