Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry is charting an ambitious path toward a tenfold expansion, with projections to grow from an estimated $2 billion to $10 billion over the next five years. The move aims to bolster national medicine security, reduce dependence on imports, and position Nigeria as a pharmaceutical hub in Africa.
This vision was outlined by the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) in the lead-up to its 44th Annual National Conference. ACPN National Chairman, Pharm. Ambrose Ezeh, revealed that several Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturers, alongside leading private investors, are currently building Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) plants—investments valued in the tens of millions of dollars.
“These investments will transform the pharmaceutical landscape in Nigeria,” said Ezeh. “With local API production, we’re taking concrete steps to secure our medicine supply chain and establish Nigeria as a central hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing on the continent.”
Driving Local Production and Medicine Sovereignty
The strategic investments in local drug production come amid ongoing efforts to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on foreign pharmaceutical imports, which currently account for up to 70% of the nation’s supply. This reliance has left the country vulnerable to global supply chain disruptions, forex volatility, and limited access to life-saving medicines.
Ezeh stated that the pharmaceutical industry is looking to emulate models from India and China, where local production has become a cornerstone of economic and public health resilience.
A critical component of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical development agenda is the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC). Under this initiative, the country recently secured $5.5 billion in private sector investments to launch the Empower Academy, a training institute dedicated to producing up to 2,000 pharmaceutical professionals annually, with a focus on regulatory compliance, API synthesis, and process engineering.
Policy Incentives and Industry Growth
Despite recent progress, Ezeh noted that significant hurdles remain—chief among them being infrastructure gaps, regulatory bottlenecks, and limited access to critical raw materials. To accelerate growth, the ACPN is calling for robust government support at both the federal and state levels.
“The government must offer deliberate incentives—access to equipment, tax reliefs, and streamlined regulation—to encourage compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and fuel sustainable local production,” Ezeh said.
The association also identified the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) as a critical opportunity for Nigeria to expand its pharmaceutical exports, urging policymakers to harness the regional market potential.
Additionally, the ACPN advocated for the revival of key initiatives such as the Expedited Medicine Access Programme, a previously shelved intervention first introduced under the Petroleum Trust Fund to improve access to essential medicines across Nigeria.
Call for Inclusive Policy and Sector Leadership
The ACPN also used the occasion to address structural challenges within Nigeria’s health sector, particularly the underrepresentation of pharmacists in key decision-making roles. The association decried the continued dominance of physicians in executive positions—such as Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) and heads of health agencies—arguing that such imbalances undermine collaborative healthcare delivery.
They highlighted ongoing resistance to the recognition of PharmD holders and consultant pharmacists, attributing the pushback to institutional opposition from the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and related actors.
“We cannot achieve a thriving healthcare system when pharmacists and other professionals are excluded from leadership and strategic roles,” the ACPN stated.
Stakeholder Collaboration and Regulatory Reform
The association cautioned the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare against unilateral policymaking that sidelines pharmaceutical stakeholders. It cited the controversial MEDIPOOL policy as a recent example of exclusionary governance that threatens to derail progress in the industry.
For Nigeria to realise its pharmaceutical ambitions, the ACPN concluded that a progressive, inclusive, and stakeholder-driven policy framework is essential. This includes sustained investment promotion, streamlined regulation, and a collaborative approach to healthcare governance.
About the ACPN
The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria is a technical arm of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), representing licensed community pharmacists nationwide. The association advocates for improved pharmacy practice, access to quality medicines, and the integration of community pharmacies as vital components of Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system.
