Soludo Opens 99th PSN National Conference, Calls for Partnership to Strengthen Healthcare Delivery

Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has called for a strategic partnership between the state government and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) to strengthen healthcare delivery, promote pharmaceutical development and advance Nigeria’s healthcare leadership.

Soludo made the call while officially declaring open the 99th Annual National Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria in Awka, Anambra State, where he reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to building a robust healthcare system anchored on professional competence, innovation, institutional collaboration and effective regulation.

The conference, tagged Ijele 2026, is being held under the theme, “One Health, One Pharmacy: Bridging Knowledge, Practice And Policy For National Impact.”

Welcoming pharmacists and other delegates to Anambra, which he described as the “Light of the Nation” and Nigeria’s pharmaceutical headquarters, the governor said the conference presented an important opportunity for professionals, policymakers and government institutions to collectively address challenges confronting the nation’s healthcare system.

He described the gathering as historic and exceptional, stressing that pharmacists occupy an indispensable position in the healthcare delivery chain.

According to him, the development of a productive and sustainable health ecosystem cannot be achieved without recognising and strengthening the contributions of pharmacists, whose expertise extends beyond dispensing medicines to research, drug development, public health, pharmaceutical manufacturing and healthcare policy.

Soludo said the theme of the conference was particularly relevant at a time when Nigeria needed to deepen collaboration among healthcare professionals, government institutions and industry stakeholders to improve access to quality healthcare.

He emphasised that effective healthcare leadership required a coordinated approach in which professional knowledge, clinical practice, public policy and institutional capacity were brought together to achieve measurable national impact.

Human Capital Development As Foundation Of Healthcare Reforms

The governor used the occasion to outline his administration’s achievements in education and healthcare, noting that investments in human capital development remained central to his vision of building a prosperous and healthy Anambra State.

He explained that the government had undertaken extensive reforms in the education sector, including the introduction of free education from kindergarten through secondary school.

According to him, the reforms have significantly improved access to education, bringing the state’s out-of-school children rate down to 0.25 per cent, which he described as the lowest in Nigeria.

Soludo said the achievement reflected the administration’s determination to ensure that children, irrespective of their socioeconomic backgrounds, had access to quality education.

He stressed that education and healthcare were interconnected pillars of human development, adding that a society could not achieve sustainable economic growth without investing adequately in the wellbeing and intellectual development of its citizens.

The governor maintained that the state’s investments in education were designed to produce a knowledgeable, productive and healthy population capable of contributing meaningfully to economic transformation.

He noted that a strong healthcare system required not only modern infrastructure and medicines but also a well-trained workforce capable of delivering services efficiently and professionally.

Free Maternal Care And Primary Healthcare Revitalisation

Turning to the healthcare sector, Soludo highlighted the administration’s efforts to revitalise primary healthcare facilities across the state and expand access to affordable medical services.

He disclosed that more than 250,000 beneficiaries had received zero-cost antenatal care under the state’s healthcare initiatives.

The governor also revealed that the government had provided more than 950 free Caesarean operations to expectant mothers, describing the intervention as part of its commitment to reducing maternal mortality and ensuring that women receive essential medical attention regardless of their financial circumstances.

He said the initiatives were designed to remove financial barriers that prevent vulnerable families from accessing critical healthcare services.

According to him, the government recognises that healthcare should not become a luxury available only to those who can afford it, but an essential public service that protects lives and promotes social wellbeing.

The governor underscored the importance of strengthening primary healthcare as the foundation of an effective healthcare system, noting that accessible medical services at the grassroots could reduce the pressure on secondary and tertiary hospitals.

He also stressed that healthcare reform must be comprehensive, incorporating preventive medicine, maternal and child health, pharmaceutical services, disease surveillance and effective management of medical facilities.

Oba Pharmaceutical Hub To Strengthen Industry

A major highlight of the governor’s address was the ongoing development of a state-of-the-art Pharmaceutical Hub in Oba, which he said would further consolidate Anambra’s position as a leading centre for pharmaceutical activities in Nigeria.

Soludo described the project as a strategic investment aimed at strengthening the pharmaceutical industry, encouraging business expansion and improving the environment for pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution.

He also announced plans for the Coordinated Wholesale Centre, which is expected to be delivered early next year.

The proposed centre is intended to contribute to the organisation of pharmaceutical wholesale activities and support the development of a more structured medicine distribution system.

The governor said the projects represented important steps towards positioning Anambra as a major pharmaceutical destination, capable of attracting investment, supporting professional practice and contributing to the growth of Nigeria’s healthcare economy.

The development of pharmaceutical infrastructure, he suggested, could also create opportunities for employment, industrial expansion and the emergence of stronger partnerships between government and private-sector operators.

Anambra’s pharmaceutical ambitions come against the backdrop of Nigeria’s continuing efforts to strengthen local pharmaceutical manufacturing, reduce dependence on imported medicines and improve the availability of quality-assured drugs.

For a country with a large population and considerable healthcare needs, the expansion of domestic pharmaceutical capacity remains critical to improving medicine security and reducing vulnerabilities associated with global supply-chain disruptions.

Soludo’s emphasis on pharmaceutical development therefore places the state’s initiatives within the broader national conversation about healthcare resilience, industrialisation and economic diversification.

PSN Challenged To Fight Counterfeit Medicines

Beyond infrastructure and investment, the governor challenged the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria to intensify efforts to eliminate counterfeit medicines and strengthen professional standards within the industry.

He called on the society to work closely with the state government in enforcing operational safety and ensuring that pharmaceutical establishments comply with relevant regulations.

Soludo specifically urged the PSN leadership to address the activities of illicit medicine outlets and shops allegedly operating under the guise of licensed pharmacies.

He said the profession must look inward and confront practices capable of undermining public confidence in pharmacists and exposing patients to dangerous medicines.

The governor stressed that professional integrity and effective regulation were essential to protecting consumers and maintaining the credibility of the pharmaceutical industry.

Counterfeit and substandard medicines remain significant public health concerns in Nigeria, where the circulation of unsafe pharmaceutical products can result in treatment failure, complications, avoidable deaths and loss of confidence in healthcare institutions.

The challenge requires sustained cooperation among professional associations, regulatory agencies, law enforcement authorities, pharmaceutical manufacturers and state governments.

Soludo’s call for partnership with the PSN reflects the need for a coordinated approach to identifying illegal pharmaceutical operations, enforcing professional standards and protecting the public from unsafe medicines.

He urged pharmacists to demonstrate leadership by supporting regulatory efforts and ensuring that professional practice remained guided by ethical principles and public interest.

PSN President Commends Soludo’s Support

Earlier, the President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Pharm. Ayuba Tanko Ibrahim, expressed appreciation to Governor Soludo for his support for the pharmaceutical profession and the hosting of the national conference in Anambra.

Ibrahim said bringing the flagship conference to the state fulfilled a personal pledge he had made, adding that he was pleased to see the event become a reality under the governor’s administration.

He commended Soludo’s vision and leadership, particularly his commitment to healthcare development and the pharmaceutical industry.

The PSN president also recalled that he had previously predicted the governor’s electoral victory, noting that the prediction had come to pass.

His remarks highlighted the cordial relationship between the pharmaceutical society and the Anambra State government, which both sides indicated could provide a foundation for deeper collaboration.

The conference offers an opportunity for pharmacists from across the country to examine professional challenges, exchange ideas and develop strategies for strengthening pharmaceutical practice.

One Health, One Pharmacy And The Future Of Nigeria’s Healthcare

The theme of the 99th PSN National Conference underscores the growing recognition that healthcare challenges cannot be addressed through isolated professional or institutional interventions.

The One Health approach recognises the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health, requiring collaboration across disciplines and sectors to prevent diseases, improve health outcomes and strengthen public health systems.

For pharmacists, this approach presents opportunities to contribute to disease prevention, antimicrobial resistance management, medicine safety, environmental health and the development of sustainable healthcare policies.

Nigeria’s healthcare system faces several challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, uneven access to medicines, workforce shortages, rising treatment costs and the continued threat posed by infectious and non-communicable diseases.

The country also needs stronger pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, better distribution networks and improved regulatory oversight to ensure that medicines are safe, effective and accessible.

Against this background, the PSN conference is expected to provide a platform for examining how professional knowledge and policy coordination can translate into practical solutions.

The discussions also offer opportunities to explore how pharmacists can contribute more substantially to healthcare planning, research, innovation and industrial development.

For Anambra State, the conference provides an opportunity to showcase its pharmaceutical ambitions and attract greater professional and commercial interest in the state’s healthcare sector.

Soludo’s call for strategic partnership places emphasis on the need to move beyond ceremonial engagements towards concrete programmes capable of delivering sustainable benefits.

The success of such collaboration will ultimately depend on the ability of government and professional bodies to translate commitments into effective regulation, investment, improved access to medicines and better healthcare outcomes.

As the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria marks its 99th national conference, the message from Awka is that the future of healthcare leadership will depend increasingly on collaboration, professional accountability, innovation and the capacity to build institutions that serve the public.

For Soludo, the challenge is to consolidate Anambra’s emerging pharmaceutical position and ensure that its investments translate into improved healthcare delivery.

For the PSN, the conference presents an opportunity to reinforce its professional leadership and contribute more decisively to the transformation of Nigeria’s healthcare system.