Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, are expected to lead top government officials, policymakers and key industry stakeholders to the 8th Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers Expo (NPME 2026), as the country intensifies efforts to achieve greater self-sufficiency in pharmaceutical production.
The two-day exhibition, scheduled for September 28 and 29, 2026, at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos, is expected to place Nigeria’s ambition of strengthening local drug manufacturing and advancing healthcare sovereignty at the centre of discussions.
Organised by the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN) in partnership with GPE Expo Pvt. Ltd., the expo will be held alongside the Nigeria Lab Expo under the theme, “Regional Manufacturing: Advancing Africa’s Pharma & Lifescience Sovereignty through Localization.”
The event is expected to bring together healthcare investors, policymakers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, technology providers, regulatory authorities, cleanroom specialists and industrial machinery manufacturers from across five continents to explore investment opportunities, technology transfer, local production and expanded access to African markets.
Other expected dignitaries include the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh; Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako; Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Moji Christianah Adeyeye; and Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharm. Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos, the Chairman of the NPME Committee, Pharm. Patrick Ajah, who represented the Chief Host, Oluwatosin Jolayemi, said the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector was targeting 70 per cent local production of medicines.
Ajah said the expo would serve as a major platform for attracting foreign direct investment, facilitating technical partnerships, promoting local sourcing of raw materials and strengthening the capacity of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry.
The organisers disclosed that more than 200 companies are expected to exhibit at the event, with nearly 10,000 healthcare professionals, regulatory experts and equipment manufacturers projected to attend.
According to Ajah, the outcomes of the expo are expected to contribute to a policy framework capable of supporting reforms in pharmaceutical regulation, financing, manufacturing and supply chains across Nigeria and the wider African continent.
He said the initiative aligns with the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), which seeks to move Nigeria’s healthcare sector from dependence on imports towards commercialisation, local manufacturing, technology transfer and stronger domestic value chains.
The push for increased local production comes against the backdrop of a significant decline in Nigeria’s dependence on imported finished pharmaceuticals.
The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of PMG-MAN, Pharm. Frank Muonemeh, said official NAFDAC data showed that imports of finished pharmaceutical products had fallen from 4.03 billion units to 1.13 billion units as of 2025.
He said the development had helped move the ratio of imported to locally produced essential medicines to about 50:50, describing the trend as evidence that Nigerian manufacturers have the technical capacity to meet a significant proportion of domestic demand when provided with the right operating environment.
Muonemeh also pointed to improvements in Nigeria’s regulatory environment, noting that NAFDAC had attained World Health Organisation Maturity Level 3 and was working towards Level 4, while the PCN has supported conditions that have enabled some local manufacturers to obtain WHO prequalification and undertake contract manufacturing for international brands.
He, however, warned that Nigeria’s dependence on imported medicines remains a major threat to national health security, particularly during global health emergencies, geopolitical conflicts, border closures and disruptions to international supply chains.
According to him, building a resilient domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing ecosystem is no longer simply an economic objective but an essential component of Nigeria’s public health security and national sovereignty.
Despite the progress recorded, Muonemeh identified high energy costs, inadequate access to long-term financing, regulatory bottlenecks, shortages of technical manpower and inconsistent public procurement policies as major challenges confronting local manufacturers.
He disclosed that pharmaceutical manufacturers currently spend more than 40 per cent of their income on electricity and alternative power generation, compared with less than 10 per cent reportedly spent by competitors in manufacturing hubs such as China and India.
He therefore called for targeted government intervention, including dedicated industrial energy tariffs, to enable local manufacturers compete effectively in the global market.
The Executive Director of Drugfield Pharma Ltd, Pharm. Olusola Akande, also urged the Federal Government to introduce broader incentives for local pharmaceutical manufacturing, particularly in the area of active pharmaceutical ingredients and specialised excipients.
Akande said existing interventions, including the Presidential Executive Order, currently cover only about five per cent of the APIs and specialised excipients required by local manufacturers.
He called for wider tax exemptions and incentives for local production of pharmaceutical raw materials, arguing that such measures would increase manufacturing capacity, reduce production costs and ultimately make medicines more affordable for Nigerians.
PMG-MAN also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to extend the Presidential Executive Order from its current two-year duration to five years, arguing that a longer policy window would provide manufacturers with the certainty required for sustained capital investment and industrial expansion.
Muonemeh described the 8th Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers Expo as a strategic platform for transforming Africa’s pharmaceutical and life sciences industry, stressing that the event would facilitate technology transfer, contract manufacturing agreements, market access and local pharmaceutical synthesis.
He said the expo would differ from conventional trade fairs by prioritising manufacturers and technologies that directly support local production rather than providing a platform for imported finished medicines.
According to him, foreign exhibitors would primarily be those offering machinery, analytical instruments and production materials that are either unavailable or insufficiently produced in Nigeria, ensuring that international participation contributes directly to strengthening domestic manufacturing capacity.
Ajah similarly stressed the importance of indigenous pharmaceutical production, saying the experience of recent global health crises had demonstrated the risks faced by countries that rely heavily on foreign suppliers for essential medicines.
He assured that local pharmaceutical manufacturers remain committed to global Good Manufacturing Practice standards, with quality control, quality assurance and supply management systems in place to ensure compliance.
He also warned that manufacturers involved in the production or distribution of counterfeit and substandard medicines would face regulatory and law enforcement action.
Ajah further highlighted PMG-MAN’s 43-year history of advocacy for pharmaceutical manufacturing in Nigeria, noting that the organisation has grown from 20 pioneer members at its establishment in 1983 to more than 200 companies.
He said the sector’s growth has contributed to employment generation, tax revenue and a gradual reduction in Nigeria’s dependence on imported medicines, while stressing that achieving the 70 per cent local production target remains critical to the country’s health security and industrial development.
The organisers have consequently invited global healthcare investors, biotechnology companies, venture capitalists, raw material suppliers, equipment manufacturers, development finance institutions and African policymakers to participate in the Lagos expo.
PMG-MAN said the event would provide opportunities for cross-border partnerships, investment, technology acquisition and market expansion while supporting greater integration of Africa’s pharmaceutical industry under the African Continental Free Trade Area and the African Medicines Agency framework.
With the expected participation of the Ministers of Health and Industry, Trade and Investment, the organisers said the formal opening of NPME 2026 would underscore the Federal Government’s commitment to building a stronger domestic pharmaceutical industry and positioning Nigeria as a leading healthcare manufacturing hub in Africa.
