Some healthcare practitioners have urged West African governments to set a 10-year target to end drug importation in the region, citing the need for stronger local pharmaceutical production and health security.
They made the call on Wednesday at the ongoing three-day Pharma West Africa Exhibition and Conference 2026 in Lagos, themed “Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Strengthening in West Africa.”
In his keynote address, Dr Olamide Okulaja of Maisha Meds, said about 70 per cent of drugs consumed in Nigeria were produced and imported from other countries, describing the dependence as unacceptable.
He said West Africa had the capacity to end import dependence within a decade, urging stronger government support for local pharmaceutical firms to boost economic growth and health security.
Okulaja also called for the prioritisation of pharmaceutical manufacturing as a national security issue and urged governments to harmonise drug quality standards across the region.
He said such harmonisation would unlock opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area, giving manufacturers access to a broader continental market of 1.6 billion people.
A former Minister of Health, Prince Julius Adeluyi, also said Africa’s pharmaceutical industry must become more self-sufficient to improve access to essential medicines and medical supplies.
He said that weak local production had continued to limit access to drugs and equipment, stressing that deliberate actions were needed to strengthen manufacturing capacity across the continent.
Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said the state was implementing mandatory health insurance and developing the Lagos State Medical Industry and Innovation Zone to boost healthcare access.
He said the initiative included planned space allocation within free trade zones in Lekki to support innovation, investment, and growth in the health and pharmaceutical sectors.
Chairman of the Planning Committee, Mr Ahmed Yakasai, also urged government intervention to strengthen local pharmaceutical capacity, warning that excessive importation was harmful to national development.
He emphasised the need to place pharmacists at the centre of healthcare delivery, particularly in primary healthcare, to ensure proper drug administration and regulation.
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Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), said Nigeria’s local drug production ratio had improved significantly.
She said the country had moved from a 70:30 import-to-local production ratio to about 50:50, adding that efforts toward self-sufficiency must continue through stronger local manufacturing policies.(NAN)
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