Nigeria should shift from fragmented pharmaceutical production to integrated industrial hubs to reduce drug imports and combat counterfeit medicines, according to Chimezie Anyakora, chief executive of Bloom Public Health. Speaking at the 3rd Pharma West Africa Conference in Lagos, Anyakora proposed the creation of a "Pharmacity" hub—a dedicated zone hosting 20 to 50 drug manufacturers alongside regulators, research institutions and logistics providers. He argued that shared infrastructure such as power, water, laboratories and waste management would cut production costs and improve quality control. Africa imports between 70 percent and 90 percent of its medicines, a vulnerability exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, while Nigeria produces only about half of its domestic drug needs.
Local manufacturers face high operating costs due to reliance on imported active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), foreign exchange shortages and unstable energy supply. Anyakora said integrated hubs could enable economies of scale, strengthen regulatory oversight and reduce the circulation of fake drugs. He advocated for tax breaks, duty waivers on raw materials and equipment, and procurement policies favouring locally made medicines. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) presents an export opportunity, but Nigeria must expand production capacity to take advantage. "AfCFTA gives us a market, but we must have the capacity to supply it," Anyakora said.
Chimezie Anyakora's push for pharmaceutical hubs exposes the structural weakness of Nigeria's drug manufacturing sector—where ambition outpaces execution. Despite producing half of its medicine needs, the country remains dependent on imported APIs and suffers from high production costs, leaving local factories unable to compete with cheaper foreign drugs.
The proposal for a coordinated Pharmacity model taps into a deeper issue: Nigeria's history of failed industrial policies due to inconsistent implementation and weak infrastructure. Past efforts to boost local manufacturing have stalled not from lack of ideas, but from policy flip-flops, poor funding and bureaucratic bottlenecks. Anyakora's call for tax incentives, stable forex access and simplified regulations points to systemic hurdles that have long undermined investor confidence in the sector.
For ordinary Nigerians, the stakes are direct—affordable, safe medicines remain out of reach when local production falters. Counterfeit drugs thrive in the gaps left by weak supply chains, endangering public health, especially in rural areas with limited regulatory reach. A functioning hub could lower prices and improve medicine quality, but only if backed by sustained political will.
This is not just about health—it reflects a broader pattern in Nigeria's development strategy: promising blueprints that gather dust without follow-through. The AfCFTA window won't stay open forever, and without urgent, coordinated action, Nigeria risks watching other African nations seize the lead in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
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