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By Doris Obinna
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Lagos State Branch, has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently declare a state of emergency in Nigeria’s health sector and convene a high-level dialogue with health workers to address what it described as worsening professional conflicts and policy imbalances in the system.
The call was made by the chairman, PSN Lagos State Branch, Babayemi Oyekunle, in a valedictory address delivered at the association’s 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos.
Oyekunle said the Nigerian health sector has experienced sustained tension in recent years, particularly affecting non-physician health professionals, and warned that continued neglect of these concerns could further weaken the country’s already fragile healthcare system.
According to him, the PSN urged the federal government to initiate urgent dialogue with key health sector stakeholders, including the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), in order to resolve longstanding disputes over welfare packages, professional recognition and policy implementation.
He alleged that the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) has failed to fully implement aspects of the 2010 welfare package for health workers, particularly adjustments related to the Consolidated Health Salary Structure, popularly known as CONHESS, which affects non-physician cadres such as pharmacists, nurses and laboratory scientists.
Oyekunle also criticised what he described as disproportionate representation of physicians in government committees and health sector decision-making bodies, noting that such an imbalance undermines teamwork and reduces the contributions of other health professionals. He cited recent examples of committees set up by the ministry where physicians constituted the overwhelming majority of members, leaving minimal representation for pharmacists, nurses and other professionals.
The PSN chairman further accused health sector leadership of promoting policies that could entrench professional dominance by a single cadre, including the establishment of universities of medical sciences structured in ways that restrict leadership roles to physicians.
He said the Lagos branch of the society would support collaborative actions with labour centres and civil society groups to draw national attention to the challenges confronting the health sector.
While urging President Tinubu to declare an emergency in the sector at the federal level, Oyekunle also called on the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to adopt similar measures within the state’s health system.
In the same address, the PSN chairman raised concerns about ongoing legislative proposals seeking amendments to the laws establishing the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
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According to him, the proposed amendments, identified as Executive Bills HB 2696 and HB 2707, must ensure that the governing boards of both regulatory agencies maintain balanced professional representation and adequate technical expertise.
Oyekunle noted that regulatory boards play a crucial role in safeguarding public health through oversight, professional discipline and institutional stability.
He argued that any restructuring of such boards must reflect the diverse sectors within pharmacy practice, including community pharmacy, hospital and institutional practice, the pharmaceutical industry, academia and regulatory administration.
The PSN chairman emphasised that the PCN has a statutory mandate covering pharmacy education, training, practice regulation, accreditation of institutions, inspection of pharmaceutical premises and professional discipline.
Similarly, he said NAFDAC is responsible for regulating drugs, foods, medical devices, chemicals and packaged water, responsibilities that require a governing board with strong regulatory competence and sectoral representation.
Oyekunle cautioned that weakening the professional composition of these boards could undermine regulatory effectiveness and compromise public health protection.
He also opposed proposals to introduce representatives of “community interests” into the governing council of the PCN, arguing that pharmacy practice is constitutionally linked to drug regulation, which falls under the Exclusive Legislative List of the Federal Government.
According to him, allowing non-professional interference in the governance of pharmacy regulation could erode professional autonomy and weaken adherence to global standards such as Good Pharmacy Practice.
Oyekunle traced the legislative history of pharmacy regulation in Nigeria to colonial ordinances dating back to the late nineteenth century, including the Pharmacy Ordinance of 1902 and the Pharmacists Act of 1964, which he said established the foundation for professional autonomy in the sector.
He urged the National Assembly to ensure that amendments to the PCN and NAFDAC laws preserve regulatory independence, strengthen technical leadership and incorporate representation from academia and other pharmacy sub-cadres such as pharmacy technicians.
