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By Chidiebere Onyemaizu
Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has declared open the 99th Annual National Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) in Awka, the state capital, with a call for strategic partnership between the state government and the professional body to transform the nation’s health ecosystem.
Addressing delegates under the conference theme, “One Health, One Pharmacy: Bridging Knowledge, Practice and Policy for National Impact”, the governor described the gathering, tagged Ijele 2026, as a truly historic and matchless event. He emphasised that no productive health ecosystem could exist without the vital role of pharmacists.
Highlighting Anambra’s prioritisation of human capital, Soludo outlined major milestones in education and healthcare. He revealed that state education reforms, including free education from kindergarten through secondary levels, had driven the out-of-school child rate down to 0.25 per cent, the lowest in Nigeria.
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He pointed to a revamped primary healthcare system, over 250,000 beneficiaries of zero-cost antenatal care and more than 950 free caesarean operations provided to expectant mothers as part of his administration’s strides in the health sector.
Describing Anambra as Nigeria’s premier pharma hub, the governor highlighted the ongoing development of the state-of-the-art Pharmaceutical Hub in Oba, alongside the upcoming Coordinated Wholesale Centre, slated for delivery early next year.
He challenged the PSN leadership to partner closely with the state to enforce operational safety, urging the society to look within and eliminate counterfeit practices, including illicit shops masquerading as licensed pharmacies.
Earlier, the PSN President, Pharm. Ayuba Tanko Ibrahim, expressed deep gratitude to Soludo for his unwavering support of the profession. Fulfilling a personal pledge to bring the flagship national conference to Anambra, he commended the governor’s vision and leadership, noting that his earlier prediction of Soludo’s electoral victory had come to pass.
