BY NGOZI ONYEAKUSI

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative and Head of Mission, Nigeria,
Dr Pavel Ursu, will address an assembly of Nigeria’s top level pharmacists during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy ((NAPharm).
Ursu’s discussion will focus on the theme: “PHARMACY FOR NATIONAL HEALTH SECURITY: Advancing Innovation, Medicine Sovereignty and Sustainable Healthcare.”

The NAPharm, 2026 AGM and Investiture of New Fellows is scheduled for Monday, 16 November and Tuesday, 17 November 2026, in Lagos.
The NAPharm is Nigeria’s foremost academy dedicated to advancing pharmaceutical sciences, professional excellence and evidence-based health policy.

The theme reflects the Academy’s commitment to positioning pharmacy as a strategic pillar of national development, public health resilience, pharmaceutical innovation and sustainable access to quality medicines.

At a time when Nigeria faces increasing healthcare demands, vulnerabilities in medicine supply, emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and the urgent need to strengthen domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing, the Academy believes that national health security must become a strategic national priority rather than merely a healthcare aspiration.

The 2026 gathering will provide an important platform for examining how Nigeria can harness pharmaceutical knowledge, scientific innovation, research, technology, regulatory excellence and strategic partnerships to build a more resilient, equitable and self-reliant healthcare system.

Speaking ahead of the event, the President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy, Professor Lere Baale, emphasised the significance of the theme:

“A nation’s health security is inseparable from its economic security, scientific capability and national sovereignty. No country can claim genuine independence while remaining dangerously dependent on external sources for its essential medicines, critical pharmaceutical technologies and healthcare innovations.

“Nigeria must move decisively from dependence to capability, from fragmented interventions to integrated solutions, and from healthcare vulnerability to sustainable national resilience.

“Pharmacy must not merely respond to the future of healthcare; it must help design, shape and secure that future.”

Professor Baale further stressed that the Academy would continue to champion collaboration among government, academia, pharmaceutical manufacturers, regulatory institutions, healthcare professionals and development partners to translate scientific knowledge into measurable improvements in population health.
A major highlight of the programme will be the formal investiture of new Fellows into the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy.

The investiture represents recognition of distinguished professional achievement, scholarship, leadership, innovation and outstanding contributions to pharmacy and society.

Beyond celebrating individual excellence, the admission of new Fellows reinforces the Academy’s responsibility to nurture intellectual leadership, promote scientific advancement, strengthen professional standards and provide independent, evidence-informed guidance on matters affecting national health and development.

Speaking ahead of the event, Professor Baale, remarked, Fellowship of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy is not simply an honour to be received; it is a responsibility to be discharged. Our Fellows must be architects of solutions, champions of innovation, mentors of future generations and courageous voices for policies that improve the health and well-being of Nigerians.”

The Academy is also inviting policymakers, leaders of healthcare institutions, pharmaceutical industry executives, researchers, professional associations, development partners, members of the media and the general public to participate in the investiture ceremony and keynote address.
The Academy believes that Nigeria’s aspiration for universal health coverage, medicine security and sustainable healthcare cannot be realised through isolated interventions.

It requires a coordinated national commitment to pharmaceutical research and development, local medicine production, workforce development, technology adoption, stronger health systems and policies that encourage investment and innovation.

The 2026 AGM and Investiture will therefore reinforce a compelling national message:

“Medicine sovereignty is not a luxury. Health security is not optional. Pharmaceutical innovation is not merely desirable. Together, they are essential foundations for Nigeria’s future.”

As the Academy welcomes a new generation of distinguished Fellows, it renews its commitment to advancing a healthier, more innovative, more resilient and more prosperous Nigeria.
According to the organisers, the event holds Monday, 16 November 2026 which is the Annual General Meeting by11:00 a.m at the Business School Netherlands, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.
While on Tuesday, 17 November 2026 is the Investiture Ceremony and Keynote Address at Old Great Hall, College of Medicine, LUTH, Idi-Araba, Lagos.