Former Aviation Minister and Chancellor of the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, Osita Chidoka, has challenged Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturers to abandon what he described as an “alibi culture” of excuses and embrace global quality standards to strengthen the country’s health security and industrial competitiveness.
Chidoka gave the charge at the 29th National Conference and Training of the Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria in Ilorin, Kwara State, where industry leaders, regulators, and policymakers gathered to discuss the future of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical manufacturing sector.
He warned that Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry remained heavily dependent on imported Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), estimated at between 70 and 80 per cent, describing the trend as a major structural weakness threatening affordable healthcare delivery and national economic resilience.
According to him, the rising cost of medicines and health supplements in Nigeria reflects deeper institutional and industrial challenges beyond currency fluctuations.
Chidoka cited the prices of four common healthcare products, Creatine, Magnesium Glycinate, Vicks Sinex, and a pain relief ointment, which he said cost about ₦130,520 in Nigeria despite having a combined international market value of about $88.
He said the situation has worsened the burden on Nigerians, noting that while consumers in countries such as the United States spend only a fraction of their monthly income on such products, many Nigerian workers could spend a significant portion of their earnings to purchase the same items.
The former minister urged pharmaceutical manufacturers to adopt what he termed an “Agency Culture,” where companies take responsibility for quality, innovation, and operational efficiency regardless of economic or regulatory constraints.
“The future will reward organisations that are willing to work differently with long-term vision,” Chidoka said.
He also called on manufacturers to move beyond basic compliance with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control regulations and align with international standards set by the World Health Organization and the United States Food and Drug Administration.
According to him, regulatory compliance should be treated as a strategic tool for improving product quality and gaining international market access under the African Continental Free Trade Area framework.
“The regulator’s weakness is not your permission to be weak. You are not building for NAFDAC alone; you are building for WHO, AfCFTA, and the Nigerian consumer,” he stated.
National Chairman of NAIP, Bankole Ezebuilo, also called on pharmaceutical manufacturers to institutionalise quality assurance and adopt modern performance management systems to improve productivity and competitiveness.
Ezebuilo said excellence in pharmaceutical manufacturing must become an internal culture rather than an externally imposed obligation.
The conference featured presentations from pharmaceutical executives and stakeholders, including U.S.-based industry expert Henrietta N. Ukwu.
Other participants included former presidents of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria such as Mohammed Yaro Budah, Azubike Okwor, Olumide Akintayo, Ahmed Iyakassai, and Sam Ohuabunwa.
Representatives of the Kwara State Government and top pharmaceutical stakeholders also attended the conference.