Pharmacist Obina Daniels, head of Reality Pharmacy and Healthcare in Suleja, has expressed concern over the increasing challenges in obtaining medications, blaming the Nigerian government for exacerbating the situation.
Daniels highlighted that the difficulties in importing drugs are severe due to the unavailability of foreign exchange at both market and government rates.
“We don’t produce drugs in Nigeria because we lack the necessary infrastructure,” he stated.
He described the struggle of running his pharmacy on a generator due to unreliable power supply from the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).
“NEPA may provide electricity briefly, only to cut it off immediately, and then demand taxes the next day. The government is failing us,” Daniels lamented.
Daniels also pointed out the rising cost of living, citing that a bag of rice, which cost ₦7,500 during Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, now costs ₦70,000, while the minimum wage remains at ₦30,000.
“If you have a family with two children, it’s impossible to feed them on this wage, let alone cover water bills, rent, electricity, and school fees,” he said.
He said the health sector is similarly affected, warning that anyone unable to afford medical services risks death.
“We are heavily taxed, yet the government provides nothing in return. I have to supply my own electricity and water. From January until now, I’ve spent nearly ₦3,000,000 on fuel to keep my business running. If I paid the same amount in taxes and received proper services, it would be different,” he argued.
Daniels criticized the government for its negligence, stating that they impose high taxes even on imported raw materials for the limited local drug production.
