At the 98th Annual National Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) held in Kano, the Treasurer of the Nigerian Academy of Pharmacy and former Chairman of the PSN Lagos State Branch, Pharm. (Sir) Anthony Bola Oyawole, FPSN, has emphasized the urgent need to strengthen Nigeria’s pharmacy workforce and elevate pharmaceutical practice to global standards.

Speaking on the sidelines of the conference, Oyawole said the country’s healthcare outcomes are directly linked to the quality, capacity, and effectiveness of its pharmacy professionals. According to him, “the workforce in pharmacy practice must be strengthened so that we can serve the nation and pharmacists can contribute maximally to the health of the nation.”

He noted that pharmacists occupy a central position in national health delivery, with roles that span drug production, manufacturing, quality assurance, and dispensing—making them indispensable to national development.

He added that Nigeria’s productivity as a nation is tied to the health of its people. “It is the health of the nation that will translate the nation into a productive sector,” he said, stressing that pharmacists must be fully empowered to safeguard public health. Strengthening the workforce, he said, is essential to ensuring that the nation’s pharmaceutical system can meet modern expectations and deliver services comparable to what is obtainable across the world.

Oyawole stressed that pharmacists are not merely dispensers of medicines but strategic actors in health security, drug availability, and the smooth functioning of the entire pharmaceutical value chain. “We the pharmacists, who are the producers, manufacturers, and dispensers of drugs, are here to make sure that what is required in our nation is at par with what we have at the global arena,” he emphasized.

For Nigeria to build a resilient and competitive pharmaceutical sector, he added, policies must be developed and implemented to support innovation, professional advancement, and a more cohesive ecosystem.

He reiterated that the gathering of pharmacy leaders in Kano presents an opportunity for the profession to chart new pathways, harmonize ideas, and advance reforms that can reposition the pharmaceutical sector for national growth.

The PSN’s 98th Conference, hosted in Kano, brought together stakeholders from academia, industry, regulation, and community practice to deliberate on the nation’s health and pharmaceutical priorities.