A former registrar and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Prof. Ahmed Tijjani Mora, has called for increased investment in local pharmaceutical manufacturing.
He stressed the need for Nigeria to reduce its dependence on imported medicines and attain self-sufficiency in drug production within West Africa.
Mora, who spoke yesterday in Kaduna during the public presentation of a book titled, “Professor Ahmed Tijjani Mora: A Pillar of Pharmacy Regulation in Nigeria”, organised as part of activities marking his 70th birthday celebration, lamented the collapse of what he described as one of the biggest pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in West Africa, which he initiated and managed in Nigeria.
He, however, expressed optimism about recent efforts to accelerate growth in the pharmaceutical industry through incentives, tax waivers, and support for local manufacturers.
According to him, Nigeria currently produces only about 40 per cent of the pharmaceutical products consumed locally, while about 60 per cent is imported.
“What we are doing wrong is that we are giving a lot of attention to importation. But what stakeholders are trying to do now is to accelerate local production. By 2030, we want to produce 70 per cent of pharmaceutical products consumed in Nigeria, and it is achievable”.
Mora explained that the West African Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association’s vision was to strengthen inter-country pharmaceutical trade within the sub-region so that African countries would rely less on Europe and America for essential medicines.
“If Togo lacks paracetamol or chloroquine, Nigeria should be able to supply them instead of importing from France. If Senegal has the capacity to produce anti-malarial drugs, Liberia should not wait for supplies from America or England,” he said.
He added that the federal government had already placed restrictions on the importation of several pharmaceutical products that could be manufactured locally, while procurement policies also favour locally produced medicines.
The former PCN Registrar further commended regulatory agencies, including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, for strengthening standards within the pharmaceutical sector.
In his opening remarks, the chairman of the occasion and former vice president of Nigeria, Namadi Sambo, described Mora as a long-time associate, trusted adviser and accomplished professional whose contributions had significantly impacted healthcare delivery and pharmaceutical regulation in Nigeria.
Sambo recalled Mora’s role in establishing a disposable syringe and needle manufacturing company in Zaria in the late 1990s, describing it as one of the largest in the country at the time.
“Our parents lived very close to each other in Tudun Wada, Zaria, and had a longstanding relationship. Mora has always related to me like an elder brother and has consistently reached out for advice throughout his professional and public service career,” he said.
