Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has reached out to the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, urging the professional body to forge a tighter alliance with his administration in the ongoing battle against counterfeit drugs. Speaking in Awka while declaring open the ninety-ninth annual national conference of the society, tagged Ijele 2026, the governor emphasized that stamping out fake medications and flushing out illegal operators masquerading as licensed pharmacies remain critical steps toward building a dependable healthcare system for the state and the country at large.
Addressing professionals gathered under the theme “One Health, One Pharmacy: Bridging Knowledge, Practice and Policy for National Impact,” Zoyols News gathered that Soludo positioned pharmacists as indispensable partners in achieving sustainable health reforms. He pointed out that his government is actively cementing Anambra’s status as a major medical and pharmaceutical destination through tangible infrastructure projects, notably the ongoing development of a dedicated pharmaceutical hub in Oba alongside a Coordinated Wholesale Centre slated for completion early next year.
Beyond the medical sector, the governor used the platform to spotlight sweeping reforms across education and public health in the state. He noted that introducing free education from kindergarten through secondary school has driven the out-of-school children rate down to a record-low 0.25 percent, widely regarded as the best performance nationwide. On the health front, Zoyols News learned that the administration has heavily upgraded primary healthcare facilities, extending free antenatal care to over 250,000 expectant mothers while successfully sponsoring more than 950 free caesarean sections.
Earlier in his remarks, the President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Pharm. Ayuba Tanko Ibrahim, lauded the governor for his unwavering backing of the profession and for turning the vision of hosting the massive national gathering in Anambra into reality. Ibrahim expressed optimism that the deliberations would yield deeper policy alignment between practitioners and the government, ultimately translating to better health outcomes for everyday citizens.
