Professor Cyril Usifoh, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), has stated that during the last two years, over 7,000 pharmacists have left Nigeria for better working circumstances elsewhere, News About Nigeria reports.
Professor Usifoh, speaking in Gombe, the capital of Gombe State, emphasised that the huge flight of pharmacists represents a troubling issue of brain drain, which remains a key burden in the nation’s healthcare sector.
He emphasised the need to address this issue as soon as possible, considering the ramifications for Nigerians’ well-being.
Professor Usifoh urged the government to create an atmosphere suitable for pharmacy practice to reverse this trend and encourage chemists to stay in the nation and contribute to its growth.
“To curtail the phenomenon of brain drain, we must create conditions that make staying an attractive choice. The government should facilitate the creation of such an enabling environment to not only retain pharmacists but also attract them back to Nigeria. We are here, and we are committed to staying,” he asserted.
Usifoh, a pharmacy professor, also emphasised the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria’s commitment to increasing the country’s healthcare self-sufficiency and enhancing the broader health sector.
Usifoh noted that the PSN’s 96th annual conference, which is now taking place in Gombe State, provides an opportunity to examine the organization’s achievements over the last year and brainstorm on ways to improve the healthcare sector.
He stated that members and industry experts attending the conference are looking at prospective collaborations with the Gombe State government to capitalise on the prospects available in the state’s pharmaceutical industry.
