Soludo Seeks PSN Partnership to Tackle Counterfeit Drugs, Strengthen Healthcare
“Governor highlights Anambra’s free maternal care, pharmaceutical hub and primary healthcare reforms at 99th PSN national conference”
By Titus Eleweke
Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, has called for a strategic partnership between the state government and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) to strengthen healthcare delivery, combat counterfeit medicines and transform the nation’s pharmaceutical ecosystem.
According to statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Christian Aburime,Soludo made the call on Tuesday while declaring open the 99th Annual National Conference of the PSN in Awka, Anambra State.
He urged the professional body to collaborate with his administration in promoting pharmaceutical safety, professional standards and improved access to quality healthcare.
The conference, tagged Ijele 2026, is themed “One Health, One Pharmacy: Bridging Knowledge, Practice and Policy for National Impact.”
Welcoming delegates to Anambra, which he described as the “Light of the Nation” and Nigeria’s pharmaceutical headquarters, the governor said the conference was a historic gathering that underscored the indispensable role of pharmacists in building a productive and sustainable healthcare system.
He challenged the PSN leadership to work closely with the state government to enforce operational safety and eliminate counterfeit pharmaceutical practices, particularly the activities of illicit drug outlets operating under the guise of licensed pharmacies.
Soludo urged the society to look inward and strengthen professional oversight, stressing that the fight against fake and substandard medicines required collective responsibility and effective regulation.
Highlighting his administration’s investments in human capital and healthcare, the governor said Anambra’s education reforms, including free education from kindergarten through secondary school, had reduced the state’s out-of-school child rate to 0.25 per cent, which he described as the lowest in Nigeria.
In the health sector, he said the government had revamped the primary healthcare system, provided free antenatal care to more than 250,000 beneficiaries and facilitated over 950 free caesarean operations for expectant mothers.
The governor also highlighted ongoing efforts to consolidate Anambra’s position as a major pharmaceutical centre through the development of a state-of-the-art Pharmaceutical Hub in Oba.
He said the state was also developing a Coordinated Wholesale Centre, expected to be delivered early next year, to further strengthen pharmaceutical distribution and improve access to medicines.
Earlier, PSN President, Pharm. Ayuba Tanko Ibrahim, expressed gratitude to Soludo for his consistent support for the pharmaceutical profession and for hosting the society’s flagship national conference in Anambra.
Ibrahim said bringing the conference to the state fulfilled a personal pledge and commended the governor’s vision and leadership. He also recalled predicting Soludo’s electoral victory, noting that the prediction had come to pass.
The conference is expected to provide a platform for pharmacists, policymakers and other stakeholders to examine ways of bridging knowledge, practice and policy to improve healthcare outcomes across the country.
