Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has urged the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria to partner with his administration in strengthening drug regulation and curbing the sale of fake and counterfeit medicines across the state.
Soludo made the appeal on Tuesday while opening the 99th Annual National Conference of the PSN at the International Convention Centre, Awka.
Welcoming participants, the governor described Anambra as “Nigeria’s pharmaceutical headquarters” and called for closer cooperation between the state government and pharmaceutical professionals to improve healthcare services.
The conference, tagged “Ijele 2026”, is themed ‘One health, One pharmacy: Bridging knowledge, practice and policy for national impact’.
Soludo emphasised the importance of pharmacists in safeguarding public health, urging the society to strengthen professional oversight and work with the government to ensure that only qualified practitioners operate legitimate pharmaceutical outlets.
He said, “We urge pharmacists to join hands with the state government in cracking down on fake and counterfeit drugs. We also call on the leadership to police members’ operations and eliminate fake shops posing as registered pharmacies. “Human capital remains Anambra’s greatest asset. Our major strides in public education, where reforms and free schooling from kindergarten to secondary level have slashed the out-of-school children rate to 0.25 percent, the lowest in the country.”
The governor also outlined some of his administration’s interventions in the health sector, including the rehabilitation of primary healthcare facilities and the introduction of free antenatal services.
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According to him, the programme has benefited more than 250,000 pregnant women, while over 900 caesarean section procedures have been provided at no cost.
He further disclosed that construction activities were ongoing at a dedicated pharmaceutical hub in Oba, as well as a Coordinated Wholesale Centre expected to be completed early next year.
Earlier, PSN President, Ayuba Ibrahim, recalled his commitment to bringing the organisation’s flagship annual conference to Anambra State.
Ibrahim also reflected on his earlier prediction that Soludo would win the governorship election, saying the forecast had come to pass. He commended the governor for his contributions to the pharmacy profession.
In recognition of his support for pharmacy practice in Anambra and other parts of the country, the society presented Soludo with an excellence award.
The pharmaceutical industry remains an important component of Nigeria’s healthcare system, with responsibilities spanning medicine production, distribution and dispensing.
However, the presence of counterfeit and substandard medicines, unregistered drug outlets and violations of regulatory standards continues to pose risks to public health.
While the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria oversees pharmacists’ training, professional practice and registration of pharmacy premises, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control is responsible for regulating medicines and other products under its mandate.