The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has urged federal and state governments to increase funding for pharmacy education to boost healthcare self-sufficiency. The call was made during the 2026 Pharmacy Colloquium held at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Yola, Adamawa State. PSN President and Chairman of Council, Pharm. Ayuba Tanko Ibrahim, described pharmaceutical education as vital to national security and stressed the need to treat it as a strategic investment rather than just an academic pursuit. He advocated for full implementation of the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) programme and strengthening institutions like the National Postgraduate College of Pharmacy to reduce reliance on imported medicines.
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State, represented by Deputy Governor Professor Kaletapwa Farauta, announced approval for a College of Pharmacy at Adamawa State University, Mubi. Pharm. Ibrahim also called for improved infrastructure for SIWES and internship programmes and urged protection of the Consultant Pharmacist cadre to address brain drain. In his keynote, Pharm. (Prof.) Cyril Odianose Usifoh highlighted gaps between academic training and real-world healthcare outcomes, pushing for competency-based education focused on critical thinking, innovation, and patient care. He recommended integrating artificial intelligence and digital health systems into pharmacy curricula. A communique issued after the event warned that Nigeria's health security remains at risk without targeted investments in training and local drug manufacturing.
A governor announcing a new pharmacy college while the country still struggles to retain qualified pharmacists exposes the gap between political gestures and systemic reform. Pharm. Ayuba Tanko Ibrahim's call for strategic investment rings hollow if states keep launching programmes without securing the workforce to sustain them. Nigeria already has the policies and frameworks—what it lacks is follow-through. Until funding and retention strategies match the ambition, such announcements will remain symbolic, not transformative.
