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Awujoola yusuf babatunde
Mar 29 2025
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A Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturing company, ST. RACHEAL'S Pharma, has urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure the return of all pharmaceutical companies that had left Nigeria as a result of economic challenges.
The chairman of the company, Mr. Akinjide Adeosun, made the appeal on Saturday in Lagos at the 7th anniversary celebration of the company.
Adeosun urged the Tinubu administration to intensify efforts to tackle the high cost of drugs and brain drain to improve the health condition of Nigerians, especially the poor.
In his opinion, the president needs to declare a state of emergency on health with one overriding goal to rescue Nigerians' lives struggling under extreme economic hardship.
He listed areas of health needing emergency to include hard and soft infrastructures.
"There is a clamour for urgent action of exited drug companies to revive investment in Research and Development (R&D) to accelerate the renewed promise of a manufacturing renaissance.
"The Minister of Trade and Investment is appealed to to spearhead this cause.
"Part of the negotiation can include partnering with domestic producers to position Nigeria as a strategically placed hub to tap exports to African countries," he said.
Adeosun also called for the removal of import duty and levy on critical pharmaceutical products with weak local production capacity like antibiotics, antihypertensives, and antidiabetics.
"This action will help reduce the cost of drugs in Nigeria," added the pharmacist.
Talking of soft infrastructure as the also need, Adeosun further said there was a widespread lack of state-of-the-art medical education by the multinational drug companies that left Nigeria.
In order to rectify the shortage of manpower because of brain drain, school of medicine and school of pharmacy admissions across the country should be considerably boosted.
A friendly work environment should be provided to entice Nigerians who reside in the diaspora and other Africans working in the medical profession back home to come and work in Nigeria, added the expert.
Adeosun, however, welcomed the removal of import duty and value-added tax on active pharmaceutical ingredients by the president.
"This will go a long way—long term- to reverse the current ratio of 60 percent:40 percent imported drugs versus locally produced drugs to 40 percent:60 percent imported versus locally produced drugs," he added.
Arguing yet more for the poor, the pharmacist urged the federal government to do everything in its ability to alleviate the health burden of the vulnerable.
"Whilst we applaud the various non-health palliatives being supplied in the country, it is our carefully considered opinion that to provide indigent patients with health insurance cover (sponsored by the government at both national and sub-national levels) nationwide."
This will have a positive impact on the health of the populace, thereby increasing life expectancy in Nigeria," he concluded.
According to him, since its inception on March 29, 2018, ST. RACHEAL'S Pharma has perfected the art of core commercial remits and, in the process, impressed customers through the provision of value-added services of leadership, finance, customer care, distribution, and technology.
He mentioned that ST. RACHEAL'S™ Pharma's non-profit arm, the Akinjide Adeosun Foundation (AAF), has undertaken free medical missions and free leadership education in Nigeria, consistent with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals.
