The Escalating Exodus of Pharmaceutical Professionals

No fewer than 9,000 pharmacists have emigrated from Nigeria in the four-and-a-half years leading up to December 2025. This trend has shown no signs of slowing, with more than 850 additional professionals obtaining letters of good standing from the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) in the first six months of 2026 alone to facilitate their relocation abroad.

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) disclosed these figures during its 45th Annual National Scientific Conference, held from July 27 to August 1, 2026, at the International Conference Centre in Abuja. The migration trend primarily involves practitioners moving to Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, creating a significant manpower deficit in the domestic health sector.

Systematic Drivers and National Healthcare Risks

ACPN National Chairman, Pharm. Ezeh Ambrose Igwekamma, attributed the persistent migration of highly trained professionals to a combination of poor reward systems, delayed enforcement of drug distribution guidelines, and disorganized medicine procurement networks. He warned that the accelerating exodus poses a serious threat to Nigeria's healthcare system and overall national development.

The departure of these professionals is already impacting patient safety and the long-term sustainability of the pharmaceutical sector. The association described the current situation as a wake-up call for the Federal Government, emphasizing that urgent steps are required to retain skilled professionals and make the pharmaceutical sector more attractive to practitioners.

Addressing the Substance Abuse Crisis

Beyond the manpower shortage, the ACPN raised concerns regarding Nigeria's worsening drug abuse crisis. Citing data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Igwekamma noted that more than 21.2 million Nigerians are currently abusing various substances. This crisis is driven by factors including unemployment, poverty, dysfunctional family structures, and weak enforcement of existing drug laws.

To combat this, the association called for tougher penalties against illicit drug dispensers and increased taxation on tobacco and alcohol. They also advocated for the establishment of modern rehabilitation centers and improved capacity for regulatory and enforcement agencies, including the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), PCN, and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Proposed Legislative and Regulatory Reforms

The ACPN is urging the Federal Government to support executive and private-member bills designed to tackle persistent challenges in the pharmaceutical sector. Central to these reforms is the proposed amendment to the Fake Drug Act, which seeks to introduce much stiffer penalties for offenders.

The proposed amendments include a mandatory 20 years' imprisonment for first-time offenders. For repeat offenders, the association is advocating for life imprisonment coupled with total asset forfeiture. Such measures are deemed necessary to secure the pharmaceutical supply chain and protect the public from the dangers of unregulated and counterfeit medicines.