By Chioma Obinna The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, ACPN, on Tuesday, raised fresh concerns over the growing exodus of pharmacists from the country, revealing that about 9,850 professionals have left Nigeria in the last five years in search of better opportunities abroad. Read Also: From lender to borrower: Arise TV’s Rufai Oseni weeps over Nigeria Speaking at the opening of the 45th Annual National Scientific Conference of the ACPN at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Scientific Conference Centre in Abuja, the National Chairman of the association, Pharm. Ambrose Ezeh, described the trend as a major threat to Nigeria’s healthcare system and pharmaceutical industry.
Ezeh said records at the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, National Secretariat showed that about 9,000 pharmacists exited Nigeria in the four and a half years preceding December 2026, while over 850 more obtained letters of good standing from the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, PCN, in the first six months of 2026 alone. “The fortunes of the profession continue to plummet rather dangerously in recent years,” he said. “Data at the PSN National Secretariat confirm the exit of about 9,000 pharmacists in the four and a half years preceding December 2026.
The first six months of 2026 have not been significantly better, as over 850 pharmacists have collected letters of good standing from the PCN and moved on to countries like Canada, the UK, Australia and, to a much lesser extent, the USA and some Asian territories.” He attributed the development to poor remuneration, weak workforce development plans and the failure to fully enforce the National Drug Distribution Guidelines introduced in 2015. Challenges According to him, the absence of a clearly defined public drug procurement policy has continued to undermine the profession and compromise patient safety. “Some of the glaring challenges are the not-too-impressive reward system and the poor drug distribution system, which impinges on the image of the profession,” Igwekamma stated.
The ACPN chairman called on the Federal Government to urgently sponsor executive bills aimed at repositioning the pharmaceutical sector for national development. He identified three priority areas: amendment of the Fake Drug Act, establishment of a federal Drug Management Agency or Drug Revolving Fund agency, and creation of a National Postgraduate … … Seek life jail for fake drug offenders, tougher anti-drug abuse laws By Chioma Obinna The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, (ACPN), on Tuesday raised fresh concerns over the growing exodus of pharmacists from the country, revealing that about 9,850 professionals have left Nigeria in the last five years in search of better opportunities abroad.
Speaking at the opening of the 45th Annual National Scientific Conference of the ACPN at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Scientific Conference Centre in Abuja, the National Chairman of the association, Pharm. According to him, the absence of a clearly defined public drug procurement policy has continued to undermine the profession and compromise patient safety.
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