By Karen James
In the wake of the recent cholera outbreak that has claimed numerous lives in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria, Mr. Peter Obi, the former Labour Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023 general elections, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to allocate more financial resources to the health sector in order to prevent further disease outbreaks in the country. Obi alleges that the outbreak was a result of the present administration’s failure to invest in the health sector.
Speaking at the 6th Public Lecture of the Board of Fellows, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (BOF-PSN) held at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Obi emphasized that Nigeria should not be experiencing outbreaks when the country built a vaccination facility as early as 1948, nearly 20 years before Cyrus became the biggest vaccine producer in the world. However, due to bad leadership, corruption, and a lack of commitment to good governance, the facility is being underutilized.
Obi pointed out that Nigerians now resort to prayers for a spiritual cure rather than seeking medical attention when they fall sick. He criticized the government for prioritizing the importation of drugs and collecting revenue from importers, instead of partnering with local pharmaceutical industries to manufacture high-quality drugs and medicines.
The former presidential candidate highlighted the government’s negligence in providing adequate healthcare services. He recounted visiting a primary health center in the outskirts of Abuja, where he found 50 pregnant women being attended to by just one medical staff member. He lamented the non-functionality of the country’s 24,000 primary health centers and criticized the current national budget allocation to health, calling for a deliberate policy to ensure local production of drugs and medicines.
Obi cited the skyrocketing prices of drugs, such as augmentin, which now sells for N18,000 compared to its previous price of N5,000. He criticized the government at the state and federal levels for prioritizing the healthcare needs of Governors, the Presidency, and the National Assembly while neglecting the ordinary citizens who rely on public health clinics.
In addition, Obi expressed concern that Nigeria, as a signatory to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has failed to establish any laboratories for disease testing since the COVID pandemic.
Dr. Afam Obidike, the Anambra State Commissioner for Health, also spoke at the event and highlighted Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s plans to build a Pharmaceutical Industrial City on a 5,000-hectare land in Ogboji, Orumba South. This project aims to shift the focus from drug importation to manufacturing and exportation, making it the largest pharmaceutical distributors’ hub in West Africa.
The recommendations from the lecture, according to Dr. Joel Adagadzu, Chairman of the Board of Fellows, PSN, will assist the leadership of PSN in continuing the dialogue with the government to find equitable solutions for providing access to quality medicines for the population.
The event was attended by notable personalities, including the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof. Joseph Ikechebelu, the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, CEO of PAXS Pharmaceuticals Limited, Uche Akpakama, Unizik Pharmaceutical Students, and others.