Get Guardian on GoogleThe World Health Organisation Representative and Head of Mission in Nigeria, Dr Pavel Ursu, will deliver the keynote address at the 2026 Annual General Meeting and Investiture of New Fellows of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy.
The event, scheduled for November 16 and 17 in Lagos, will focus on strengthening Nigeria’s health security through pharmaceutical innovation, local medicine production and sustainable healthcare.
The academy said this year’s programme was designed to position pharmacy as a strategic pillar of national development, public health resilience and access to quality medicines.
In a statement signed on Wednesday by the Secretary-General, Pharm. Lekan Asuni, FNAPharm, the academy said while the investiture ceremony and keynote address would take place on Tuesday, November 17, at the Old Great Hall, College of Medicine, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos, it announced that the Annual General Meeting would hold on Monday, November 16, at 11am at Business School Netherlands, GRA, Ikeja and restricted to academy Fellows.
Asuni stated that the keynote address centred on the theme, “Pharmacy for National Health Security: Advancing Innovation, Medicine Sovereignty and Sustainable Healthcare”, was particularly significant amid growing concerns over vulnerabilities in medicine supply, emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance and the need to strengthen domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The statement quoted the President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the academy, Prof. Lere Baale, as saying that Nigeria must make health security a national priority.
Baale said, “A nation’s health security is inseparable from its economic security, scientific capability and national sovereignty. No country can claim genuine independence while remaining dangerously dependent on external sources for its essential medicines, critical pharmaceutical technologies and healthcare innovations.
“Nigeria must move decisively from dependence to capability, from fragmented interventions to integrated solutions, and from healthcare vulnerability to sustainable national resilience.
“Pharmacy must not merely respond to the future of healthcare; it must help design, shape and secure that future.”
The academy president said the organisation would continue to promote collaboration among government, academic institutions, pharmaceutical manufacturers, regulatory agencies, healthcare professionals and development partners to translate scientific knowledge into improved health outcomes.
He added that the 2026 gathering would provide a platform for examining how research, technology, regulatory excellence and strategic partnerships could strengthen Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry and healthcare system.
A major highlight of the event will be the investiture of new Fellows into the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy in recognition of their professional achievements, scholarship, leadership, innovation and contributions to the pharmaceutical sector and society.
Baale described the fellowship as both an honour and a responsibility, urging the inductees to use their expertise to advance the profession and contribute to national development.
“Fellowship of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy is not simply an honour to be received; it is a responsibility to be discharged. Our Fellows must be architects of solutions, champions of innovation, mentors of future generations and courageous voices for policies that improve the health and well-being of Nigerians,” he said.
The academy said the admission of new Fellows would further strengthen its capacity to nurture intellectual leadership, promote scientific advancement, uphold professional standards and provide evidence-based guidance on issues affecting national health.
The academy urged concerned stakeholders including policymakers, healthcare administrators, pharmaceutical industry executives, researchers, professional associations, development partners, media organisations and members of the public to attend the investiture ceremony and keynote address.
It stressed that achieving universal health coverage, medicine security and sustainable healthcare would require coordinated national action, particularly in pharmaceutical research and development, local medicine production, workforce development, technology adoption and policies that encourage investment.
Reaffirming its commitment to a resilient and self-reliant healthcare system, the academy declared: “Medicine sovereignty is not a luxury. Health security is not optional. Pharmaceutical innovation is not merely desirable. Together, they are essential foundations for Nigeria’s future.”
