Nigeria's Local Drug Production at 40%, Warns Expert

Prof. Ahm Tijjani Mora, the former Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), raised significant concerns regarding Nigeria's pharmaceutical production during a public presentation of his book titled "Professor Ahm Tijjani Mora: Pillar of Pharmacy Regulation in Nigeria" in Kaduna.

He warned that the country currently meets only 40% of its drug requirements through local production, with the remaining 60% being imported. Mora emphasized that this heavy reliance on imported medicines poses a major threat to national health security.

He called for stronger investments in local drug manufacturing to reverse this trend and set a goal for Nigeria to produce 70% of its pharmaceutical products by 2030. He noted that Nigeria has the capacity to become a pharmaceutical hub in West Africa, provided that there are incentives such as tax waivers, regulatory support, and a preference for local manufacturers.