The University of Medical Sciences Ondo State has advised medical practitioners to focus on drug discovery and production.
Speaking at a contract signing between a construction company, Olu Akinkugbe Pharmacy Education Trust, and the university, Vice-Chancellor, UNIMED, Prof. Adesegun Fatusi, noted that given the numerous challenges bedeviling the Nigerian health sector, there was the need to reposition pharmacy education in the country.
The Olu Akinkugbe Pharmacy Education Trust collaborated with the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State, to enhance infrastructure in the sector, with the construction of phase one of the Faculty of Pharmacy building, which is expected to be completed in 52 weeks.
“There is an urgent need to address the palpable and critical gaps in our health sector, especially in the area of drug discovery and production. The University of Medical Sciences, Ondo is not only interested in becoming a one-stop institution for training in all health and medical sciences fields but also to address some of the major gaps currently existing in pharmacy education in Nigeria and to contributes toward addressing the human resource challenges in pharmacy practice,” Fatusi stated.
He added that Nigeria was in dire need of a pharmacy education programme that would respond to the need of the 21st century, saying UNIMED’s pharmacy education programme would have a strong focus on innovation, entrepreneurship, and drug discovery.
He added, “The Faculty will work in strong collaboration with the University’s Centre for Herbal Medicine and Drug Discovery to harness Nigeria’s natural resources of herbs and promote drug development.
The Chairman, Board of Trustee, OAPET and former Honourable Minister of Health, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, said the Faculty was designed as a centre of learning that would attract the brightest minds in Africa and beyond and create a hub for collaboration to revolutionise the medical and pharmaceutical industry.
“This is a dream to be able to achieve a world-class faculty of pharmacy in a university like the University of Medical Sciences in Ondo to make the practice of pharmacy different and better than it is before, to set up a faculty that will meet global standards for pharmaceutical practice,” he said. Adelusi-Adeluyi called on members of the public to support the Board in building and equipping the proposed OluAkinkugbe Faculty of Pharmacy, saying donors would be immortalised.”
