Minister advocates review of pharmacy curriculum

To reduce drug import, Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, has called for a review of the curriculum on pharmacy, to ensure that pharmacists are trained to manufacture drugs.

Speaking at the Nigerian Association of Pharmacists in Academia (NAPA) conference yesterday in Abuja, the minister, who urged the association to take advantage of the Presidential Executive Order 5 and go into drug production, expressed concern over the high volume of drug import in the country.

Onu noted that the nation’s economy must be knowledge and innovation-driven, adding that “once the country starts producing what it needs, jobs will be created to improve the economy.”

According to him, government, through the executive order, wants to ensure that everything imported in large quantity is produced in the country.

“We can’t be importing our drugs. We want to reduce drug importation.

It is important you see how you can help revise the curriculum on pharmacy to ensure that pharmacists are trained to become entrepreneurs,” the minister added.

President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Ahmed Yakasai, who linked drugs to national security, said NAPA wanted to produce locally to ensure national security.

He observed that though the National Drug Policy stipulates that 70 per cent of drugs should be produced locally, Nigeria is presently producing 30 per cent and importing 70 per cent of its drugs needs.