BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of pharmaceutical insecurity in the country, warning that the growing circulation of counterfeit medicines, illegal drug trafficking and diversion of controlled drugs pose serious threats to public health and national security.

The society expressed concern over what it described as the government's declining control of the pharmaceutical supply chain, alleging that excessive reliance on private interests has created room for unregulated distribution and dispensing of medicines.

PSN President, Ayuba Ibrahim Tanko, made the call during the opening ceremony of the society's 99th Annual National Conference, tagged PSN-IJELE 2026, held in Awka, Anambra State.

Tanko warned that the continued operation of open drug markets and the uncontrolled movement of medicines across the country were exposing Nigerians to dangerous health risks while creating opportunities for criminal activities.

He maintained that medicines should not be treated like ordinary commercial products because their misuse, abuse and circulation outside approved channels could have far-reaching consequences for the country's healthcare system and security.

According to him, government must maintain direct oversight of the procurement, distribution and management of medicines rather than allowing critical aspects of the pharmaceutical sector to operate beyond effective public supervision.

"Drugs are not ordinary commodities. Their misuse carries public health, regulatory and security consequences. Government's direct involvement in the supply chain and logistics of drugs therefore remains germane. Drugs are a matter of permanent regulatory control and national security," he said.

The PSN president also cited the Nigerian Constitution, which places drugs and poisons on the Exclusive Legislative List under the Second Schedule, Part I, Item 21, arguing that the provision was designed to ensure uniform national regulation and government control of pharmaceutical activities.

He recalled that the House of Representatives rejected a bill in May 2021 seeking to transfer drugs and poisons from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, with opponents reportedly arguing that such a move could weaken the country's unified regulatory framework.

Tanko further questioned the idea of handing over the entire medicine supply chain in public health institutions to a private company, arguing that such an arrangement could undermine the existing relationship between government institutions and pharmaceutical regulatory agencies.

He identified the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) as the three major institutions responsible for regulating different aspects of the pharmaceutical sector.

While the PCN oversees pharmaceutical premises and professional practitioners, NAFDAC is responsible for the registration and quality control of medicines, while the NDLEA regulates controlled substances and tackles drug-related offences.

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Tanko said these agencies depend on cooperation with government institutions through joint inspections, information sharing, enforcement activities and accountability mechanisms to ensure effective control of medicines.

He warned that allowing a private company to take complete charge of the drug utilisation and distribution chain could create an unnecessary barrier between government institutions and the regulators, potentially weakening established channels of cooperation.

He also argued that private concessionaires could not automatically enjoy the same level of institutional cooperation and regulatory goodwill extended to government-owned health facilities, insisting that transferring such responsibilities to private operators could undermine existing government privileges.

Beyond the healthcare implications, the PSN president raised concerns about the connection between drug diversion, substance abuse and insecurity, particularly banditry and other criminal activities.

He warned that the uncontrolled circulation of restricted medicines, alongside the growing availability of counterfeit products, could worsen security challenges if urgent steps were not taken to strengthen regulation and enforcement.

To address the situation, Tanko called for the establishment of a Federal Drug Management Agency through legislation, saying the proposed institution would provide a transparent, accountable and legally protected system for procuring, distributing and managing medicines across federal health institutions.

He also advocated replacing unregulated open drug markets with properly licensed Coordinated Wholesale Centres, which would operate under stricter regulatory supervision.

Additionally, he urged the government to integrate community pharmacists into the country's national security framework, arguing that their involvement could strengthen efforts to monitor drug distribution and identify suspicious activities within the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Tanko further called for the establishment of a Presidential Committee on the Pharmaceutical Sector to coordinate reforms, address regulatory gaps and develop lasting solutions to the challenges confronting the industry.

The PSN maintained that strengthening government oversight, improving pharmaceutical regulation and closing loopholes in medicine distribution were necessary steps towards protecting Nigerians from dangerous drugs and preventing the pharmaceutical supply chain from being exploited for criminal activities.