Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria Calls for President Tinubu's Intervention in Physician Domination in Nigeria's Health and Education Sectors

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has written an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, expressing concern over the alleged culture of physician domination in Nigeria's health and education sectors. The association accused physician-led groups of manipulating government policies and appointments for selfish interests, citing recent incidents at the University of Calabar and Nnamdi Azikiwe University. The ACPN criticized the federal government's alleged complicity in sustaining this culture, describing it as 'a shameful blackmail' and an affront to merit-based governance. The association also highlighted widespread mismanagement in the health sector, including the inability of Federal Health Institutions to maintain stable electricity supply and the failure of drug procurement systems.

Key Takeaways:

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the alleged culture of physician domination in Nigeria's health and education sectors.
The association accused physician-led groups of manipulating government policies and appointments for selfish interests, citing recent incidents at the University of Calabar and Nnamdi Azikiwe University.
The ACPN criticized the federal government's alleged complicity in sustaining this culture, describing it as 'a shameful blackmail' and an affront to merit-based governance.
The association highlighted widespread mismanagement in the health sector, including the inability of Federal Health Institutions to maintain stable electricity supply and the failure of drug procurement systems.
The ACPN also criticized the continued marginalization of non-physician health professionals, particularly pharmacists, in key health programmes, citing the example of community pharmacists being successfully engaged in vaccine administration during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The association demanded the establishment of a Federal Drug Management Agency to oversee procurement and distribution of medical supplies, using funds from the Basic Health Provision Fund and aligning with the National Drug Distribution Guidelines of 2015.
The ACPN warned that unless the government curbs this trend of over-pampering and over-rewarding one cadre of professionals, national development will be stunted, and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) will remain a mirage.

Statistics:

Since 1985, all Chief Executive Officers of Federal Health Institutions (FHIs) have been physicians, often based solely on their medical qualifications rather than academic credentials. [1]
In most cases, these physicians lack the academic PhDs required for leadership in academic and research settings, yet they are favoured over more qualified professionals.
A recent incident at a Federal Specialist Hospital in Irua, where a senior pharmacist was reportedly victimized for offering professional advice that challenged improper drug revolving fund practices, was brushed aside after the investigation team, dominated by physicians from the Federal Ministry of Health, exonerated the hospital's physician CEO.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, community pharmacists were successfully engaged in vaccine administration, an effort that gained international recognition yet the NPHCDA refused to institutionalize their role, dismissing their contributions despite global best practices and recommendations from the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).

Sources:

Open letter from the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) to President Bola Tinubu, dated June 16, 2025, signed by Pharm. Ambrose Igwekamma Ezeh, National Chairman, and Pharm. (Mrs.) Omokhafe Ashore, National Secretary.
The Voice of Nigeria, June 17, 2025.

Note: The original text has already mentioned the date of the open letter (June 16, 2025), so there is no need to add additional dates to the source materials.