Nigeria is intensifying efforts to reduce its dependence on imported medicines and strengthen domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing, with the country targeting 70 per cent local production of medicines.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, are expected to lead government officials, policymakers and industry stakeholders to the 8th Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers Expo (NPME 2026).
The two-day exhibition, scheduled for September 28 and 29, 2026, at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos, will focus on strategies to boost local pharmaceutical manufacturing and position Nigeria as a major pharmaceutical production hub in Africa.
The expo is being organised by the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN) in partnership with GPE Expo Pvt. Ltd. and will hold alongside the Nigeria Lab Expo under the theme, “Regional Manufacturing: Advancing Africa’s Pharma & Lifescience Sovereignty through Localization.”
Other dignitaries expected at the event include the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh; Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako; Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Moji Christianah Adeyeye; Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharm. Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed; the Special Adviser to the President on Health; and the Director-General of the African Medicines Agency (AMA).
Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos, Chairman of the NPME Committee, Pharm. Patrick Ajah, who represented the Chief Host, Oluwatosin Jolayemi, said the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector was committed to achieving the 70 per cent local production target.
He said the expo would provide a platform for attracting foreign direct investment, facilitating technical partnerships, promoting local sourcing of raw materials and strengthening the capacity of Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturers.
More than 200 companies are expected to exhibit at the event, while nearly 10,000 healthcare professionals, regulatory experts, manufacturers and equipment providers are projected to attend.
Ajah said the expected outcomes of the expo would contribute to the development of policy frameworks to support reforms in pharmaceutical regulation, financing, manufacturing and supply chains across Nigeria and the wider African continent.
He said the initiative aligned with the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), which seeks to move Nigeria’s healthcare sector away from heavy import dependence towards commercialisation, local manufacturing, technology transfer and stronger domestic value chains.
Import Dependence Declines
The push for greater local production comes as Nigeria records a significant decline in its dependence on imported finished pharmaceutical products.
The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of PMG-MAN, Pharm. Frank Muonemeh, said official NAFDAC data showed that imports of finished pharmaceutical products had fallen from 4.03 billion units to 1.13 billion units as of 2025.
According to him, the development had helped narrow the ratio of imported to locally produced essential medicines to approximately 50:50.
Muonemeh described the trend as evidence that Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturers have the technical capacity to meet a substantial proportion of domestic demand when supported by an enabling business environment.
He also cited improvements in Nigeria’s regulatory environment, noting that NAFDAC had attained World Health Organisation Maturity Level 3 and was working towards Level 4.
He said the regulatory improvements had enabled some Nigerian manufacturers to secure WHO prequalification and undertake contract manufacturing for international brands.
However, Muonemeh warned that continued dependence on imported medicines remained a threat to national health security, particularly during global health emergencies, geopolitical conflicts, border closures and disruptions to international supply chains.
He argued that building a resilient domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing ecosystem should no longer be regarded merely as an economic objective but as a critical component of Nigeria’s public health security and national sovereignty.
Manufacturers Seek Government Support
Despite the progress recorded, Muonemeh identified high energy costs, limited access to long-term financing, regulatory bottlenecks, shortages of technical manpower partly caused by the “Japa” phenomenon and inconsistent public procurement policies as major challenges confronting local manufacturers.
He disclosed that pharmaceutical manufacturers currently spend more than 40 per cent of their income on electricity and alternative power generation, compared with less than 10 per cent reportedly spent by competitors in manufacturing hubs such as China and India.
He therefore called for targeted government intervention, including dedicated industrial energy tariffs, to improve the competitiveness of Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturers.
The Executive Director of Drugfield Pharma Ltd, Pharm. Olusola Akande, also called for expanded incentives for local pharmaceutical production, particularly in the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and specialised excipients.
Akande said existing interventions, including the Presidential Executive Order, currently covered only about five per cent of the APIs and specialised excipients required by local manufacturers.
He urged the Federal Government to expand tax exemptions and other incentives for the domestic production of pharmaceutical raw materials, saying the measures would increase manufacturing capacity, lower production costs and improve access to affordable medicines.
PMG-MAN also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to extend the Presidential Executive Order from its current two-year duration to five years, arguing that a longer policy window would give manufacturers the certainty required for sustained capital investment and industrial expansion.
Expo Targets Technology, Investment
Muonemeh described NPME 2026 as a strategic platform for transforming Africa’s pharmaceutical and life sciences industry through technology transfer, contract manufacturing agreements, market access and local pharmaceutical synthesis.
He said the expo would differ from conventional trade fairs by prioritising manufacturers and technologies capable of directly supporting local production rather than serving primarily as a marketplace for imported finished medicines.
According to him, foreign exhibitors would largely comprise companies supplying pharmaceutical machinery, analytical instruments, production materials and technologies that are either unavailable or insufficiently produced locally.
He said the approach would ensure that international participation contributes directly to strengthening Nigeria’s domestic manufacturing capacity.
Ajah also stressed the importance of indigenous pharmaceutical production, noting that recent global health emergencies had exposed the vulnerabilities of countries that rely heavily on foreign suppliers for essential medicines.
He assured that Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturers remained committed to global Good Manufacturing Practice standards, with quality control, quality assurance and supply management systems in place to ensure compliance.
He warned that manufacturers and distributors involved in counterfeit or substandard medicines would face regulatory and law enforcement action.
Ajah further highlighted PMG-MAN’s 43-year history of advocacy for pharmaceutical manufacturing in Nigeria, noting that the organisation had grown from 20 pioneer members in 1983 to more than 200 companies.
He said the sector’s growth had contributed to employment generation, tax revenue and a gradual reduction in Nigeria’s dependence on imported medicines, stressing that achieving the 70 per cent local production target was critical to the country’s health security and industrial development.
The organisers have invited global healthcare investors, biotechnology companies, venture capitalists, raw material suppliers, equipment manufacturers, development finance institutions and African policymakers to participate in the Lagos expo.
PMG-MAN said the event would create opportunities for cross-border partnerships, investment, technology acquisition and market expansion while promoting greater integration of Africa’s pharmaceutical industry under the African Continental Free Trade Area and the African Medicines Agency framework.
With senior officials from the health and industry sectors expected to attend, the organisers said the formal opening of NPME 2026 would reinforce the Federal Government’s commitment to building a stronger domestic pharmaceutical industry and positioning Nigeria as a leading healthcare manufacturing hub in Africa.
