The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the pharmacy profession and expanding the role of pharmacists in the delivery of safe, accessible and quality healthcare services across Nigeria.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, stated this on Thursday in Abuja at a ministerial press briefing organised to commemorate the 2026 World Pharmacists Day.

The event was held with the theme, “Empowering Pharmacists for Healthier Futures.”

Pate, who was represented by the Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary and Director of Human Resource Management, Mrs Tetshoma Dafeta, described pharmacists as some of the most accessible frontline healthcare professionals in the country.

According to him, pharmacists make significant contributions to medicines supply, preventive healthcare, chronic disease management, patient safety and the rational use of medicines.

The minister said pharmacists operate across clinical care, scientific innovation and public health, making them essential to the development of resilient healthcare systems.

He said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare was implementing reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to strengthen pharmacy practice and improve healthcare delivery.

Pate listed the reforms to include expanding the roles of pharmacists in primary and specialised healthcare, promoting regulated e-pharmacy and digital health platforms, supporting local pharmaceutical manufacturing and strengthening efforts against substandard and falsified medical products.

The minister also acknowledged progress recorded in clinical integration, pharmacovigilance and pharmaceutical research, but called for increased investment in pharmacy education, clinical residency programmes, continuous professional development, workplace infrastructure, research and innovation.

He equally advocated stronger collaboration among pharmacists, doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to improve patient outcomes.

Pate expressed appreciation to professional bodies, development partners, academic institutions and private-sector stakeholders for their contributions to strengthening Nigeria’s pharmaceutical and healthcare systems.

He said the government remained committed to creating an environment where pharmacists would have the necessary tools, training and support to discharge their responsibilities effectively.

“A healthier Nigeria is impossible without an empowered pharmacy workforce,” the minister stated.

In her welcome address, the Director of Food and Drug Services, Mrs Olufowubi-Yusuf Adeola, said pharmacists had a critical role to play in ensuring the safe and effective use of medicines.

Adeola said pharmacists help patients understand their medications, improve adherence to treatment and prevent harmful drug interactions and medication-related errors.

She added that their presence within communities placed them in a strategic position to support public health initiatives, including health education, vaccination awareness, antimicrobial stewardship and chronic disease management.

The director called for pharmacists to be equipped with the competencies, tools and professional environment required to respond to emerging challenges such as antimicrobial resistance, unsafe medication practices and the circulation of substandard and falsified medicines.

She also urged greater adoption of telepharmacy and other digital health technologies to expand access to pharmaceutical care.

Adeola further called for sustained cooperation among government agencies, regulatory bodies, healthcare professionals, development partners, the private sector and the media to strengthen pharmaceutical services.

The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by the Director, Greater FCT, Pharm. Mrs Chizoba Maduagwuna, described pharmacists as indispensable members of the healthcare team.

Adeyeye said pharmacists were central to promoting the rational use of medicines, counselling patients and supporting improved health outcomes across the healthcare system.

She stressed that access to medicines must go beyond availability to ensuring that drugs are safe, effective, of good quality and appropriately used.

According to her, this makes pharmacists particularly important to NAFDAC’s mandate of protecting the health of Nigerians.

Similarly, the Director-General of the National Health Insurance Authority, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, represented by Yusuf Ibrahim, said pharmacists were critical to achieving Universal Health Coverage.

Ohiri noted that access to healthcare could not be considered complete without access to safe, affordable and effective medicines.

He said the NHIA would continue to work with pharmacists to improve medicines formularies, strengthen reimbursement processes and integrate pharmaceutical care into its quality assurance frameworks.

Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain, Dr Abdul Mukhtar, represented by the Head of Ecosystem Enablement, Muhammed Balarabe, said pharmacists would be critical to efforts to industrialise Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector.

Mukhtar said efforts to expand local pharmaceutical manufacturing could not succeed without the active participation of pharmacists and other stakeholders across the pharmaceutical value chain.

He assured the profession of the initiative’s continued collaboration in building a stronger and more sustainable healthcare value chain.

Representatives of Médecins Sans Frontières, Pharm. Adeola Adeyemo; SMOKO Nigeria Limited, Dr Uchechukwu Lewis Nwokorie; and Results for Development, Pharm. Jeremiah Ilo, also commended pharmacists for their contributions to medicine safety, patient counselling, supply chain management and improved health outcomes.

In her vote of thanks, the Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Pharm. Talatu Kassim, appreciated the Ministry of Health, development partners and other stakeholders for their support.

Kassim said the level of support demonstrated a shared commitment to empowering pharmacists and strengthening the pharmacy profession in Nigeria.