Pharma West Africa, Nigeria’s new international trade event for medicines, has appointed Ahmed Yakasai to chair its inaugural conference.
Yakasai, a former president and fellow of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), will head the team developing the conference with the Pharma West Africa Exhibition, running from October 4 to 6 in Lagos.
Local and international speakers from the pharmaceutical industry, leading pharmacists and other health professionals will discuss the conference’s theme of ‘New Frontiers in Pharma: Equitable Healthcare and Business Success’.
It aims to improve public’s access to better quality medicines by looking at how to solve challenges facing local pharmaceutical industry, and to highlight opportunities to improve medicines security, supply and affordability.
“Nigeria has the potential to become a leading manufacturer and distributor of essential medicines in sub-Saharan Africa. About 60 per cent of pharmaceutical production in ECOWAS countries is dominated by Nigeria, with less than 50 per cent capacity utilisation,” Yakasai noted.”
Yakasai’s experience as a pharmacist, academic and businessman includes more than 40 years’ experience in regulatory affairs. Business roles include being founder and chairman of Safe Medicines Foundation, a board member of Clearline HMO and SFH Access, and chairman of Evans Baroque Pharma. He is involved in pharmacist education programmes at Capital City University, Kano, and at Kano State University of Science and Technology, Wudill, Kano State.