WEDNESDAY- 3rd November, 2021: Pharmacists across Nigeria yesterday gathered at the Alfred Diete Spiff Civic Centre, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for the 94th Annual National Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN).
CEOAFRICA correspondent live at the event reports that the opening ceremony at the Garden City was a beehive of activities as thousands of pharmacists in Nigeria and across the African continent gathered in commemoration of the event.
The outgoing PSN President, Pharm. (Mazi) Sam Ohuabunwa, during his address, expressed optimism that pharmacists will recover what they must have lost in the past two conferences (Crocodile City 2019 – Kaduna and Omoluabi 2020 -Oshogbo), which were gravely affected by high level of insecurity and COVID-19 pandemic respectively.
He also spoke on the theme of the 2021 conference, which is “COVID-19 Lessons: Broadening & Strengthening the Nigeria Pharmaceutical/Health Sector”, noting that Nigeria seems to have learnt some lessons from the pandemic as the Nigerian government and its various agencies have since been making some laudable moves.
“The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s 100 billion naira pharmaceutical / healthcare intervention fund, the dedicated fund for research, increased funding to NIPRD and the fact that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammed Buhari, spent quality time in his 61st Independence broadcast, speaking about the government’s plan to support the industry, the first time in the history of Nigeria, are very strong pointers to the fact that we may have learnt a few,” he said.
The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, In her keynote address, stated that COVID-19 pandemic descended on Nigeria and the entire globe like a thief in the middle of the night and subsequently posed several challenges on Nigeria in particular, adding that the pandemic posed uncertainty on what will happen next.
The NAFDAC DG noted that the effect of the pandemic became enormous on Nigeria majorly because of drug insecurity, simply because Nigeria is importing the largest percentage of the drugs in the country, pointing that the nation’s drug importation, in actual fact, shouldn’t have been more than 30%, which she said she has been emphasizing since she became the DG of NAFDAC. She hoped that the nation will achieve the target in no distance time with determination.
Prof. Adeyeye also pointed out that the nation like many others has learnt many lessons, stressing that some measures had been put in place before the pandemic broke, adding that the outbreak of the pandemic has also prompted the agency to make strategic moves that would help to move the pharmaceutical sector and the health sector, as a whole, to greater height.
In the same vein, the Chairman of the occasion, Mr Odein Ajumogobia reiterated the need for Nigeria to be at the forefront of COVID-19 vaccine production, even as he charged pharmacists not to allow the advent of COVID-19 to make them lose focus.
He disclosed this in his remarks at the event, the former Minister of Foreign Affair said “Nigeria should be at the forefront of production of COVID-19 vaccine. The pandemic is yet to be overcame. In advanced countries Like UK and America, large percentage of people has been vaccinated by receiving the third dose of the vaccine, whereas, in Nigeria, less than 3% has received one dose, which is not good enough”.
Other dignitaries who graced the occasion include the representative of the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike,the Immediatiate past Chairman of the Association Of Communtiy Pharmacist in Nigeria, Pharm.(Dr) Samuel O.Adekola MAW. DSA.IION and the current ACPN chairman
The conference will also be having a ‘Garden City Bolé Nite’,which is the Gala Nite of the 94th Annual National Conference.
It is a night to celebrate Rivers State with pharmacists, featuring Seki Dances and other traditional Rivers dances, music, raffles, games and awards.
