The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called on the Federal and state governments to provide stronger financial and institutional support for community pharmacies to help reduce the cost of essential medicines and expand access to healthcare.
The association made the demand at its 45th Annual National Scientific Conference, held in Abuja from July 27 to August 1, 2026, where it identified community pharmacies as largely untapped platforms for delivering affordable first-contact healthcare to millions of Nigerians.
The conference, themed “UNITY 2026: From Local Pharmacy Practice to Global Impact, Managing Complex Healthcare Systems,” brought together government officials, legislators, regulators and pharmaceutical professionals to examine challenges confronting medicine access and healthcare delivery in the country.
The Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, specifically called for the integration of community pharmacies into state health insurance schemes and primary healthcare networks as part of efforts to subsidise essential medicines and reduce the financial burden on vulnerable households.
Represented by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Murtala Muhammad Bagana, Bago said stronger public-private partnerships with community pharmacists could improve medicine supply chains, reduce retail medicine costs and extend essential healthcare services to underserved communities.
He described community pharmacies as resilient frontline healthcare centres whose potential should be fully integrated into Nigeria’s primary healthcare system.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, also acknowledged the role of community pharmacists in improving access to safe, effective and affordable medicines.
Akume, who served as Special Guest of Honour, highlighted the Federal Government’s Executive Order suspending import duties, taxes and Value Added Tax on pharmaceutical raw materials, active pharmaceutical ingredients, medical equipment and other essential healthcare inputs.
He said the measure was intended to reduce the cost of local pharmaceutical production, encourage domestic manufacturing and ultimately lower medicine prices.
However, Akume acknowledged continuing gaps in access, particularly in rural communities where many Nigerians still struggle to obtain affordable medicines and pharmaceutical services.
He urged community pharmacists to complement government efforts by strengthening the fight against counterfeit and substandard medicines, supporting campaigns against drug abuse and substance misuse, participating in disease surveillance and contributing to emergency preparedness.
Representing the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, the Chairman of the House Committee on Health Institutions, Amos Magaji, commended community pharmacists for their contribution to safe and responsible medicine use.
The ACPN, in its communiqué, warned that Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector was also being weakened by a severe brain drain, disclosing that more than 9,500 pharmacists had left the country in recent years.
It said the continued loss of skilled pharmacists posed a threat to patient safety and effective healthcare delivery.
To address gaps in healthcare access, the association proposed that community pharmacies should be empowered to provide more first-contact services, including hypertension and diabetes screening, malaria care, antenatal services, family planning and smoking-cessation interventions.
It argued that expanding such services would take healthcare closer to communities while reducing pressure on overstretched tertiary hospitals.
The association also proposed the establishment of a National Drug Management Agency to institutionalise the Drug Revolving Fund and coordinate centralised procurement of medicines.
It said the proposed agency should directly manage the 10 per cent allocation for essential medicines under the Basic National Health Provision Fund, with the aim of reducing intermediaries and preventing leakages in public funds.
ACPN further called for an amendment to the Fake Drug Act to impose tougher sanctions on counterfeit medicine dealers, including a mandatory 20-year prison sentence for first-time offenders and life imprisonment with complete asset forfeiture for repeat offenders.
The association also proposed the establishment of a National Postgraduate College of Pharmacy to train specialist pharmacists locally, reduce dependence on foreign training and strengthen Nigeria’s clinical pharmacy workforce.
On drug abuse, ACPN described the problem as a national social emergency and called for stiffer penalties for illicit drug dispensers, higher taxation on alcohol and tobacco, modern rehabilitation centres across the six geopolitical zones, and increased funding and capacity for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, and the Nigeria Police Force.
The association also called on the PCN, NAFDAC and NDLEA to strengthen regulatory enforcement in private hospital pharmacies operating outside existing laws.
The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, Pharm. Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, said the council was strengthening professional regulation, including efforts to advance regulation of online pharmacies.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, represented by Dr Rametu Momodu, urged community pharmacists to deploy technology more aggressively in medicine safety and surveillance.
She specifically encouraged pharmacists to use platforms including the NAFDAC Greenbook, Med Safety App and Scan2Verify technology.
According to her, community pharmacies could serve as important surveillance points in Nigeria’s medicine-safety system.
The President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and chief host, Pharm. Ayuba Tanko Ibrahim, stressed the importance of professional unity and policy alignment, noting that community pharmacists were often the first point of contact for Nigerians seeking healthcare.
The ACPN National Chairman, Pharm. Ezeh Ambrose Igwekamma, described the conference as an opportunity to deepen collaboration between the pharmacy profession and government.
Igwekamma urged the government to implement the resolutions reached at the conference, saying stronger policy support for community pharmacy practice would help improve medicine security and access to affordable healthcare.
The conference also attracted the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by the Director for Food and Drugs, Mrs Olufowobi Adeola-Yusuf; Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Pharm. Dr Bernard Mohammed Doro; and Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Muyi Aina, represented by Pharm. Hauwa Tensei.
The conference culminated in the election of Igwekamma as the new National Chairman of ACPN for the 2026/2027 administration.
Other elected officers include Pharm. Adegboyega Oguntoye, National Vice Chairman; Pharm. Obiageri Ethel Ikwu, National Secretary; Pharm. Chioma Chike-Nwankwo, National Assistant Secretary; Pharm. Roland Tomiwa Rotimi, National Treasurer; Pharm. Giwa Babajide Hammed, National Financial Secretary; Pharm. Luke Atang Bokynyam, National Internal Auditor; Pharm. Samira Abubakar Umar, National Editor-in-Chief; and Pharm. Akpan Tony Anderson, National Publicity Secretary.
Igwekamma pledged that his administration would focus on strengthening the association and expanding the role of community pharmacists in Nigeria’s healthcare system.