The President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Pharm. Alh. Tanko Ayuba, has restated the society’s commitment to protecting the credibility of the pharmacy profession and push for long-overdue reforms in the country’s pharmaceutical workforce.
According to Pharmanews, he made the remarks at the opening of the PSN’s 98th Annual National Conference, PSN-DABO 2025, hosted at Bayero University, Kano. The event, themed “Pharmacy Forward: Building a Future-Ready Workforce for Performance, Collaboration and Transformation,” brought together pharmacists, regulators, academics and industry players from across Nigeria.
Ayuba expressed concern over ongoing efforts to introduce what is being referred to as a “Pharmacy Technologist” cadre into the health sector. He said the proposal undermines established professional structures and poses risks to patient safety. He noted that to address this, a revised Memorandum of Understanding between the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) was signed in August 2025 to reaffirm the discontinuation of such programmes in polytechnics while retaining the globally recognised Pharmacy Technician pathway.
The PSN President also highlighted a major regulatory win recorded in October 2025, when the Federal High Court in Calabar affirmed the PCN’s mandate to oversee every aspect of veterinary drug distribution and use in the country. He applauded former PSN leaders whose sustained advocacy helped secure the judgement and strengthen the framework guiding pharmaceutical practice.
On welfare matters, Ayuba reported that pharmacists under the Consolidated Health Salary Structure have begun receiving between 25 and 35 per cent arrears, following recent agreements reached with the Federal Government through JOHESU and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations. He added that new IPPIS payment lines have been approved for Pharm.D holders and Consultant Pharmacists, and that call-duty allowance has now been adjusted upward to 4 per cent of basic salary.
He further explained that pharmacists can now retire at 65, while Consultant Pharmacists will remain in service until 70, bringing them in line with their medical counterparts.
Ayuba encouraged universities to ensure full rollout of the Pharm.D as the standard qualification for entering the profession, and reaffirmed the Society’s dedication to establishing a National Postgraduate College of Pharmacy to complement regional training systems.
He urged pharmacists to stay united, adaptable and professionally responsible as the PSN works to prepare a workforce capable of meeting the country’s evolving healthcare needs.
