Pharm. Ambrose Ezeh, ACPN National Chairman
The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has urged the National Assembly to focus on strengthening existing health institutions rather than creating new commissions, warning that expanding bureaucracies could strain Nigeria’s limited resources.
In a statement, ACPN leaders cautioned against proposals to establish a Surrogacy Commission, a National Accreditation and Standards Commission, a Tertiary Health Institutions Commission, and seven Sickle Cell Research and Therapy Centres. They described these initiatives as legally redundant, economically unrealistic, and unnecessary, noting that the National Health Act of 2014 already provides for the regulation of tertiary hospitals through the National Tertiary Health Institutions Standards Committee (NTHISC).
The association highlighted chronic underfunding and poor oversight as the main challenges facing Nigeria’s health sector. It noted that research institutions such as NIPRD and NIMR operate with severely limited budgets, hindering innovation and development. ACPN recommended establishing a single central research centre and expanding therapy units within existing federal hospitals as a more practical solution.
Pharm. Ambrose Ezeh, ACPN National Chairman, said reforms should be “realistic and affordable,” emphasising that new institutions should only be created when necessary to improve public health outcomes.
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