The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called for urgent reforms in the country’s pharmacy sector, warning that the mass migration of pharmacists, weak regulatory systems, medicine insecurity and rising drug abuse are posing serious threats to public health and national development.

The association made the appeal at its 45th Annual National Scientific Conference, held between July 27 and August 1, 2026, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

The conference, themed “Unity 2026: From Local Pharmacy Practice to Global Impact Managing Complex Healthcare Systems,” brought together senior government officials, regulators, legislators, professional leaders and pharmaceutical industry stakeholders to deliberate on the future of pharmacy practice and Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Speaking at the event, ACPN National Chairman, Ezeh Ambrose Igwekamma, described the conference as an important platform for strengthening collaboration between the pharmacy profession and government.

Igwekamma said pharmacists were ready to partner with government and other stakeholders in the national interest, urging policymakers to recognise the profession as a strategic component of healthcare delivery and national development.

The conference witnessed the attendance of prominent personalities, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard M. Doro; Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago; President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Ayuba Tanko Ibrahim; and several past PSN leaders.

The ACPN chairman also expressed concern over the country’s growing drug and substance abuse crisis.

He further expressed worry over the increasing migration of pharmacy professionals from Nigeria.

Igwekamma disclosed that approximately 9,000 pharmacists had emigrated from Nigeria in the four and a half years to December 2025.

He attributed the trend to poor reward systems, delayed enforcement of drug distribution guidelines and disorganised medicine procurement networks.

According to him, the exodus had continued in 2026, with more than 850 pharmacists obtaining letters of good standing from the PCN within the first six months of the year in preparation to relocate to countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States.

He, however, warned that the continued departure of skilled pharmacists was creating a serious manpower shortage, with implications for patient safety, healthcare delivery and the sustainability of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector.

Speaking at the event, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, lauded ACPN for its contribution to the provision of quality medicines and urged pharmacists to deepen collaboration with state governments, particularly in tackling medicine insecurity and other health challenges.

Earlier, the PSN President, who is also the chief host, Ayuba Tanko Ibrahim, stressed the importance of professional unity and policy coordination, noting that community pharmacists were among the most accessible healthcare professionals and often served as the first point of contact for millions of Nigerians.

Representing Governor Bago, Niger State Commissioner for Health, Dr Murtala Muhammad Bagana, described community pharmacies as resilient frontline healthcare centres whose strategic role should be fully integrated into Nigeria’s primary healthcare system.

Delivering the keynote address, titled “Raising Community Pharmacy Practice in Nigeria to Global Standards: Navigating the Complex Nigerian Political System,” Wale Oyenuga urged stakeholders to move pharmacy practice beyond traditional medicine dispensing and reposition it as a comprehensive healthcare service.

Oyenuga proposed a five-pillar transformation agenda built around a unified national vision, rigorous quality standards, digital-first data systems, formal integration of community pharmacists into primary healthcare and greater participation in healthcare financing under the National Health Insurance Authority Act.

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He noted that despite their accessibility to Nigerians, community pharmacists remained largely unintegrated into national health policy, a gap he said must be addressed if Nigeria is to attain global standards comparable to those in Europe, North America and leading African countries.

Similarly, National Chairman of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN), Pharm. Elechi Oyim, called for stronger cooperation among pharmacists across different practice settings to advance universal health coverage, medicine security, patient-centred care and sound health policies.

Representing NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, Dr Ramatu Momodu said the agency’s responsibility extended beyond product registration to the entire lifecycle of medicines, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that pharmaceutical products remained safe and effective.

She described community pharmacists as indispensable partners in safeguarding the medicine supply chain and urged them to maximise digital regulatory tools, including the NAFDAC Greenbook, Med Safety App and Scan2Verify technology.

Momodu urged pharmacists to ensure that every community pharmacy functioned as a surveillance post and every pharmacist acted as a guardian of the medicine supply chain.

Meanwhile, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), also at the event, advocated stronger integration of community pharmacists into Nigeria’s healthcare financing and universal health coverage framework.