The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN) has reaffirmed its commitment to achieving 70 per cent local manufacturing of medicines as part of efforts to strengthen medicine security and healthcare delivery in the country.

The Chairman of PMG-MAN and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Daily-Need Industries Limited, Mr. Oluwatosin Jolayemi, made this known through the Chairman of the Exhibition Planning Committee and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of May & Baker Nigeria Plc, Dr. Patrick Ajah, during a press briefing announcing the 8th Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers Expo (NPME) 2026.

The two-day event, themed, ‘Regional Manufacturing: Advancing Africa’s Pharma and Life Sciences Sovereignty through Localization,’ is scheduled to hold from September 28 to 29, 2026, at Harbour Point Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Ajah said PMG-MAN, inaugurated in 1983 by the late former Minister of Health, Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, has grown from 20 pioneer members to more than 200 companies, contributing significantly to medicine access, employment generation and economic growth.

According to him, the association’s long-term objective is to attain medicine self-sufficiency in Nigeria by reversing the historical dependence on imported drugs. He noted that recent industry data indicate substantial progress, with the ratio of imported to locally manufactured essential medicines now standing at approximately 50:50.

He added that imported finished pharmaceutical products had declined from 4.03 billion units to 1.13 billion units as of 2025, reflecting increased local production capacity and investment within the sector.

Ajah commended the Federal Government, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) for policies that have supported industry growth, including the Five-plus-Five Policy, the Presidential Executive Order on the pharmaceutical sector and the unified foreign exchange regime.

While calling for an extension of the Presidential Executive Order from its current two-year duration to five years, he argued that sustained policy support would accelerate industrialisation and enhance competitiveness.

He, however, identified challenges facing the industry, including policy inconsistencies, inadequate infrastructure, high energy costs, limited access to finance, workforce development gaps and procurement bottlenecks.

Ajah said the 8th NPME would attract over 200 exhibitors and nearly 10,000 industry professionals from across Africa and other continents, providing opportunities for partnerships, technology transfer, contract manufacturing and discussions on regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

He stressed that strengthening local pharmaceutical manufacturing remains critical to national security, healthcare resilience and Africa’s quest for pharmaceutical sovereignty, adding that only local products will be on display at the exhibition with imported production machines.

At the Press Briefing were the Executive Secretary, PMG-MAN, Frank Muonemeh; Deputy Managing Director, Jawal Pharm. Nigeria, Mr. Jacob Kuriam;  Executive Director, Drugfield Pharma Ltd , Olusola Akande and Managing Director,  Sagar Vitaceuticals Nig Ltd, Aakash Kothari.