In a defining moment for the pharmacy profession, the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAPharm) convened its first national retreat in May 2022 at the PCN Auditorium in Yaba, Lagos. Under the theme “Repositioning Pharmacy,” the event signaled a bold new direction—one rooted in leadership, innovation, and responsiveness to Nigeria’s healthcare needs.

Why Repositioning Matters

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant vulnerabilities in Nigeria’s healthcare system, particularly in pharmaceutical preparedness and drug security. Pharmacists, who should be front-line responders and policy contributors, were often sidelined due to structural gaps in education, regulation, and practice.

NAPharm’s retreat tackled this challenge head-on, bringing together 95 selected pharmacists and key leaders from PSN, NAFDAC, WAPCP, SON, and academia. The Academy declared a clear message: pharmacy must evolve to lead.

Strategic Focus Areas

Six committees were established to produce targeted recommendations. Their findings addressed urgent reform needs:

Education: A call for deeper experiential learning and restructuring of curricula to meet real-world demands.

Professional Practice: Promotion of pharmacist-led care models, residency training, and rural access initiatives.

Regulation: Push for harmonized oversight, digital traceability, and localized medicine production.

Mentorship: A framework for empowering younger pharmacists through structured guidance and skill development.

Leadership: Advocacy for pharmacists to take roles in governance, policy design, and national health planning.

Situation Analysis: A comprehensive review of current systemic gaps, including workforce shortages, brain drain, and overregulation.

Policy Recommendations: Bold, Practical, Urgent

The retreat’s communiqué outlined several urgent actions, such as:

Passing the long-pending Pharmacy Bill

Implementing a National Pharmaceutical Policy

Mandating local drug and vaccine manufacturing through executive orders

Expanding pharmacy school intakes and creating new faculties

Funding pharmacy research and development—especially in vaccines, herbal medicine, and biotechnology

Building a Resilient, Visionary Profession

NAPharm’s retreat wasn’t just a conversation—it was a call to action. From proposals to digitize pharmacy education, to recommendations for tax waivers that support local manufacturers, the Academy is laying the groundwork for a more responsive, respected, and innovative profession.

The Academy is also setting a strong example by leading initiatives such as the Olu Akinkugbe Research and Innovation Centre and mentorship programs for emerging pharmacists.