The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN) has urged the Nigerian government to strengthen policies supporting domestic production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
The group made the call at a media briefing in Lagos ahead of the 8th Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers’ Expo (NPME 2026), scheduled for September 28 and 29 at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Chairman of PMG-MAN and Managing Director/CEO of Daily-Need Industries Limited, Mr Oluwatosin Jolayemi, represented by Chairman of the Exhibition Planning Committee and Managing Director/CEO of May & Baker Nigeria Plc, Dr Patrick Ajah, said the industry was targeting 70 per cent local drug production.
Ajah said the sector had grown from 20 pioneer members in 1983 to more than 200 manufacturing companies, stressing that manufacturers remained committed to reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported medicines.
He said the expo, themed “Regional Manufacturing: Advancing Africa’s Pharma and Life Science Sovereignty through Localisation,” would bring together manufacturers, policymakers, investors and technology providers to address challenges affecting local pharmaceutical production.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of PMG-MAN, Pharm. Frank Muonemeh, said the industry had recorded a shift towards local manufacturing, citing a reduction in imported finished pharmaceutical products from 4.03 billion units to 1.13 billion units in 2025, based on NAFDAC data.
Muonemeh, however, identified high energy costs and delays in clearing pharmaceutical inputs as major threats to the competitiveness of local manufacturers.
He said manufacturers were spending more than 40 per cent of their revenue on electricity and alternative power generation, compared with less than 10 per cent among competitors in countries such as China and India.
Muonemeh therefore urged the government to introduce targeted interventions, including dedicated industrial energy tariffs, while strengthening policies that would encourage the local production of APIs and other pharmaceutical inputs.
PMG-MAN also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to extend the Presidential Executive Order supporting the pharmaceutical sector from its current two-year cycle to five years, saying a longer policy framework would provide stability, attract investment and consolidate gains in local production.
The group said NPME 2026 would focus on technology transfer, regulatory harmonisation, market access, contract manufacturing, joint ventures and cross-border market integration, with more than 200 exhibitors and nearly 10,000 industry professionals expected to participate.
