The Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in the Americas (NAPPSA) has commended the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) for showing resilience and leading the line in the ongoing fight against the coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria.
The commendation was part of the goodwill message sent by NAPPSA to PSN on the occasion of the 93rd Annual Conference of PSN held in Osogbo, the Osun State capital. NAPPSA said it was particularly impressed with the visionary leadership of PSN and how they have galvanised the body to play a pivotal role in the fight against COVID-19. “NAPPSA and PSN can be proud that they have shown thought leadership and led in the education of the general populace on the pandemic,” said the NAPPSA president Dr Anthony Ikeme. “Our advocacy efforts during this period remain focused on pushing Nigerians to rise up to the challenge of coronavirus by investing in capacity building for indigenous research and development of therapy and vaccine to address not just COVID-19 but other diseases that afflict our homeland,” Dr Ikeme added.
The NAPPSA president said the diaspora pharmaceutical body was pleased with PSN for seizing the opportunity presented by COVID-19 to set another ambitious agenda for the Nigerian pharmaceutical sector in terms of ramping up R&D and manufacturing capacity. “In some ways, your 2020 conference theme Technological Revolution: Adaptation in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, Pharmacy Practice and Regulation is a continuation of this push for progress. It sets here another ambitious agenda for the Nigerian pharmaceutical sector,” Dr Ikeme said.
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Speaking on the conference theme, President of PSN, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, said “we want to expose ourselves to the possibilities of what technology can do. It would not only fill knowledge gaps but also put life-transforming tools in the hands of the healthcare-seeking Nigerians.” He added that the conference was a great opportunity for pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists to be updated on current developments in the industry, as it afforded participants the opportunity to “see how technology can help and accelerate what you are doing – be you a manufacturer, hospital pharmacist, academic pharmacist, and industry or community pharmacist.”
While commending the theme, Dr Ikeme reiterated the fact that if Nigeria must be a key player in the global pharmaceutical economy, the pharmaceutical sector must be willing to adopt the latest technology. NAPPSA assured however that it would continue to support efforts to stop the coronavirus in Nigeria as well as the building a robust pharmaceutical manufacturing sector.
