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| Photo credit — 8th Nigeria Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Expo |
The Federal Government has indicated plans to extend the Presidential Executive Order supporting local pharmaceutical manufacturing by another two years. The move comes as stakeholders call for sustained policies, investment and regulatory reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s medicine security and position the country as a regional pharmaceutical manufacturing hub.
The indication was given at the 8th Nigeria Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Expo (NPME) 2026, held on 28 and 29 September in Lagos.
Manufacturers, regulators, investors, policymakers and development partners used the event to renew calls for stronger local production and improved access to African markets.
Organised by the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMGMAN), the two-day expo attracted more than 200 exhibitors. Discussions centred on advancing regional manufacturing, localisation and Africa’s pharmaceutical and life-sciences sovereignty.
Government commitment to domestic production
Declaring the expo open, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing. He described it as a pathway to medicine security, healthcare resilience and economic development.
Salako stressed the need to strengthen capacity across the entire pharmaceutical value chain — research and development, innovation, sourcing of active pharmaceutical ingredients and excipients, formulation, manufacturing and quality assurance. He also called for increased investment in more advanced areas, including biologics, vaccines and other critical health technologies, and urged stronger regional cooperation to reduce regulatory barriers that limit access to African markets.
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Industry perspective and call for policy extension
In his welcome address, the Chairman of NPME 2026, Pharm. Dr Patrick Ajah, said no nation can achieve sustainable greatness without manufacturing what its citizens consume. He described the pharmaceutical sector as fundamental to national development and noted that the presence of high-level government officials, including representation from the Minister of Education, signalled strong endorsement of PMGMAN’s mission.
Ajah recalled that Nigeria’s medicine consumption had historically been heavily import-dependent (approximately 70 per cent imported and 30 per cent produced locally). He said public-private collaboration over the past two years had begun to shift that balance and called on stakeholders to partner with PMGMAN to drive further growth across Nigeria, Africa and global markets.
PMGMAN Chairman Oluwatosin Jolayemi said the Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturing sector is undergoing significant transformation. The group now represents more than 200 local manufacturing companies. He warned that the gains recorded must be protected through policy consistency and a predictable investment environment.
Manufacturers continue to face high energy and production costs, supply-chain challenges, port inefficiencies, limited access to long-term capital and market-access constraints. Jolayemi therefore appealed to the Federal Government to extend the Presidential Executive Order — currently expected to expire in March 2027 — by another two years. The extension, he said, would allow manufacturers to deepen investments, expand production capacity and consolidate progress on medicine security.
He emphasised that Nigeria’s ambition to become a regional pharmaceutical manufacturing hub must rest on a competitive, scalable and resilient domestic ecosystem, requiring coordinated action among government, regulators, manufacturers, financiers and development partners.
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Supporting statements from other officials
The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh (represented by the Director of Chemical and Non-Pharmaceutical Industry, Mr John Okpe Oluwa), said the government is committed under the Renewed Hope Agenda to moving Nigeria from an import-dependent market towards greater self-sufficiency. The target is 70 per cent domestic production of essential medicines while building a resilient ecosystem capable of meeting national needs and supporting exports into West Africa and the wider African market through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Proposed interventions include expanded tax exemptions, tariff waivers on raw materials and machinery, incentives for backward integration in the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients and excipients, and dedicated pharmaceutical intervention funds. The government is also working with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and NAFDAC to ensure locally manufactured products meet international standards and become more competitive for export.
NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye disclosed that 37 local manufacturing facilities are currently undergoing retrofitting and construction upgrades to meet international standards. She noted progress towards WHO global benchmarking, stronger enforcement against non-compliant facilities, and the positive impact of the 5+5 policy in reducing importation while encouraging local manufacturers to raise standards. Adeyeye urged continued effort on vaccines and other critical health commodities, warning that Nigeria cannot afford to reverse recent gains.
At the continental level, African Medicines Agency Director-General Dr Delese Mimi Darko called for stronger regulatory cooperation among African countries to accelerate access to quality-assured medicines and create a more integrated pharmaceutical market. She clarified that the Agency’s role is to strengthen and coordinate national regulatory systems rather than replace them, and stressed the need for African manufacturers to invest in research and development, technology transfer, skilled manpower, intellectual property and quality systems.
The Lagos State Government, represented by Special Adviser on Health Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, pledged continued support, particularly on energy costs, infrastructure, long-term financing, skilled manpower and regulatory predictability.
Broader participation and new industry initiatives
The expo attracted representatives from the European Union, UNICEF, European Investment Bank, Bank of Industry, IFC/World Bank, NAFDAC, Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, relevant federal ministries, and academic institutions.
PMGMAN also unveiled its Industry Self-Regulation Quality Plus (ISRQ+) Project.
Components include a five-year Medicine Security Industry Advocacy Strategy (2027–2031), an ISRQ+ laboratory, and a Data Repository and Learning Centre aimed at strengthening industry intelligence, quality capacity, evidence-based advocacy and continuous learning. These elements are expected to be commissioned progressively over the next six to 10 months.
As the 2026 edition closed, PMGMAN said its focus would shift to translating domestic manufacturing progress into a stronger, more integrated and competitive regional pharmaceutical ecosystem. Closing remarks by Pharm. Frank Muonemeh underscored the need for continued commitment to closing Nigeria’s medicine-access gap and advancing medicine security across Africa.
PMGMAN announced plans for the 9th Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers Expo in 2028 while preparations continue for the commissioning of the ISRQ+ project.
Source note: Details drawn from official statements and addresses delivered at the 8th Nigeria Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Expo (NPME) 2026.
Samuel O. Sulaimon is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Naijapiz. He covers News, Sports, Finance, Faiths, Education, Technology.
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