By Ebele Onuorah

Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Industrial Pharmacists (NAIP), Dr Lolu Ojo, has called on Nigerians to rise above the poverty level in the midst of abundant opportunities to create wealth, saying that Nigeria is a land of opportunities.

This call was made during the first edition of the distinguished Lecture Series termed: “Business Growth- Opportunities and Strategies in Nigeria” in Lagos.

Speaking, Dr Ojo said that the most important thing for Nigerians and pharmacists in particular to note is that our country, Nigeria is a land of opportunities and that is why others are coming to Nigeria to make money and succeed in doing things that we thought and believed are totally impossible.

He said that the way forward for the growth of the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in the country is local manufacturing, adding that we need to build and develop an environment that will be favourable to manufacturing; an environment that will make small companies to come up and start doing their own businesses.

In his words: “Many of us who go into importation of drugs actually know that it is not the way forward; the way to go is local manufacturing. In doing this, we would also develop job opportunities for the citizens.”

He lamented the increasing challenges in the industry saying: “The operating cost is getting higher everyday; each and every one of us produces his own electricity, security, water, etc and these are the challenges of the environment. Pharmacists are very skilled people but we still have a lot of work to do.” He, however, encouraged Nigerians to rise and forge ahead amidst all challenges and corruption, and try to live above our environment; this way, we get a step closer to making the world a better place.

He said that those who are producing drugs in Nigeria today do not get the kind of patronage they need to thrive in business. He called on policymakers to think positively and make things work; by patronizing the local pharmaceutical manufacturing industry we not only would create job opportunities but also pave way for others to join the business. Guest speaker and Managing Director, Coca- Cola Nigeria, Mr Kelvin Balogun, stated that Nigeria has one of the fastest growing business environments in Africa and that our environment most often determines how we survive.

His words: “Things have really changed but most of us do not realise it because it came suddenly. Come 2020, productivity level will be 30 per cent higher; consumer demands are getting higher and we have to put into consideration their choices, convenience and affordability.”