Pharmacists Demand National Postgraduate College in Nigeria

Pharmacists under the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) are calling for the establishment of a National Postgraduate College of Pharmacy to address the critical workforce crisis in Nigeria's pharmaceutical sector. During the ACPN 45th Annual National Scientific Conference in Abuja, National Chairman Pharm.

Ezeh Ambrose Igwekamma emphasized the urgent need for specialized training in various pharmacy fields, as the current reliance on the West Africa Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP) is insufficient. He noted that Nigeria is the only country heavily funding the WAPCP, while others like Ghana have established their own colleges.

The shortage of specialist pharmacists has been worsened by the emigration of approximately 9,000 pharmacists from Nigeria in the four-and-a-half years leading up to December 2025, with over 850 leaving in the first half of 2026. Igwekamma warned that without immediate reforms, the pharmaceutical sector's effectiveness in public health and medicine safety would continue to decline.