Former Minister of Aviation and Chancellor of the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, Osita Chidoka, has charged Nigeria’s pharmaceutical manufacturers to abandon what he described as an “Alibi culture” of excuses and embrace a new era of Strategic Quality Excellence to achieve global competitiveness and safeguard the nation’s health security.
Chidoka delivered the powerful charge while speaking at the 29th Yearly National Conference and Training of the Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP) held in Ilorin, Kwara State, where industry leaders, regulators, policymakers, and pharmaceutical stakeholders gathered to deliberate on the future of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical manufacturing sector.
In his keynote address, Chidoka warned that Nigeria stands at a critical crossroads and must urgently determine the kind of governance architecture it intends to build and sustain across administrations to guarantee national health security and industrial growth.
Painting a vivid picture of the economic burden faced by ordinary Nigerians, Chidoka cited the alarming cost of basic medical supplements and over-the-counter healthcare products in the country. According to him, four common items — Creatine, Magnesium Glycinate, Vicks Sinex, and a pain relief ointment — cost a staggering ₦130,520 in Nigeria.
Although the combined international market value of the products stood at about $88, compared to $54 in the United States and $37 in South Africa, Chidoka stressed that the deeper crisis lies in the collapse of Nigerians’ purchasing power. He explained that while a worker in the United States may spend barely one per cent of monthly earnings on such products, a Nigerian minimum wage earner could require as much as 15 per cent of monthly income — or nearly two months’ salary in some cases — to purchase the same items.
He described the situation as more than a currency challenge, insisting that it reflects a structural failure driven largely by the industry’s heavy dependence on imported Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), estimated at between 70 and 80 per cent.
According to Chidoka, Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry must undergo a psychological and operational transformation by embracing what he termed an “Agency Culture” — a system where manufacturers take full responsibility for outcomes regardless of regulatory, economic, or infrastructural constraints.
He emphasised that survival in today’s global economy requires organisations to adapt strategically to changing market realities, technological advancement, evolving customer expectations, and the opportunities emerging from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“The future will not reward those who merely work harder in the same direction,” Chidoka noted. “It will reward those who are willing to work differently with a long-term vision.”
The former minister further argued that regulatory compliance should no longer be viewed as a burden but as a strategic opportunity to strengthen product quality, improve operational efficiency, and build international market confidence.
He challenged manufacturers to go beyond the minimum requirements of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and instead build systems capable of meeting global standards set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA).
“The regulator’s weakness is not your permission to be weak,” Chidoka declared. “You are not building for NAFDAC alone; you are building for WHO, AfCFTA, and the Nigerian consumer.”
He further urged industry players not to wait for regulators to drive reform, but rather to lead proactively by prioritising data, innovation, accountability, and self-regulation.
Supporting the call for transformation, the National Chairman of NAIP, Bankole Ezebuilo, stressed that excellence in pharmaceutical manufacturing must go beyond basic compliance.
Ezebuilo encouraged manufacturers to take full ownership of product quality and institutional performance, emphasising that excellence must become an internal organisational culture rather than an externally imposed obligation.
He also advocated the adoption of modern performance management tools such as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), balanced scorecards, benchmarking systems, and continuous feedback mechanisms to drive sustainable improvement across the pharmaceutical industry.
The conference also featured globally respected pharmaceutical executive Henrietta N. Ukwu, who travelled from the United States to participate as keynote speaker and trainer, reinforcing the conference’s global outlook and commitment to international best practices.
The event attracted an impressive gathering of pharmaceutical leaders and stakeholders, including former Presidents of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) such as Mohammed Yaro Budah, Azubike Okwor, Olumide Akintayo, Ahmed Iyakassai, and Sam Ohuabunwa.
Also present were the current President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Ayuba Tanko Ibrahim, represented by Gafar Lanre Madehin; the Registrar of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed; alongside several prominent industry experts and stakeholders.
The Kwara State Government demonstrated strong institutional support for the pharmaceutical sector through the presence of top officials, including Commissioner for Finance, Hauwa Nuru; Commissioner for Social Welfare, Mariam Nana Fatima Imam; Commissioner for Communication, Bolanle Olukoju; and Executive Secretary of the Hospital Management Board, Abdulraheem Abdulmalik.
As part of his broader reform vision, Chidoka proposed the adoption of “Mekaria,” an African operational philosophy centred on continuous improvement, supported by his M²I framework — Measure, Monitor, and Improve.
He maintained that organisations must institutionalise accountability and excellence from leadership down to every operational level if Nigeria hopes to emerge as a major pharmaceutical hub in Africa.
In a stirring conclusion, Chidoka urged pharmaceutical manufacturers to see quality not as a compliance expense, but as a strategic competitive advantage capable of positioning Nigerian firms for global contract manufacturing opportunities and leadership within the AfCFTA market.
Ultimately, he reminded stakeholders that the burden of expensive medicines is shared collectively by manufacturers, regulators, and consumers alike, insisting that fixing the industry’s deep institutional weaknesses is no longer optional but essential for Nigeria’s healthcare future and economic resilience.
