The Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) has urged newly inducted Doctor of Pharmacy graduates of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), to uphold the ethics of the profession and strive for excellence in their careers.
The Registrar of the Council, Ibrahim Babashehu, gave the charge on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti during the induction and oath-taking ceremony for the 2025/2026 Doctor of Pharmacy graduands of ABUAD’s College of Pharmacy.
A total of 115 graduates were inducted as pharmacy professionals, with 35 of them graduating with First Class honours.
Babashehu urged the new pharmacists to maintain the highest standards of professional conduct and leadership while contributing to the development of sustainable healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
He said the inductees must “uphold the highest ethical standards and exemplary leadership principles established by PCN in the unwavering pursuit of excellence in pharmaceutical services for the advancement of sustainable healthcare delivery.”
Also speaking at the ceremony, the Director-General of the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency, Prof. Martins Emeje, called on the new pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to explore indigenous and natural resources in the management of diseases.
Emeje spoke on the theme, “Advancing Pharmacy Practice in the 21st Century: Integrating Digital Innovation, One Health and Indigenous Knowledge Towards Global Medicine Security.”
He advocated greater investment in traditional and indigenous medicine, stressing that locally available resources could play a significant role in strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system and reducing dependence on imported drugs.
“The major contribution you have for the world is to ensure that there is local drug production from the local environment in our society,” Emeje said.
He also urged pharmacists to embrace digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, big data and tele-pharmacy, while ensuring that technology complements rather than replaces professional judgment and accountability.
According to him, integrating indigenous knowledge with modern scientific research could help create sustainable healthcare systems, generate local employment, retain capital and promote the development of pharmaceutical production and medical technology.
In her address, the ABUAD Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, charged the inductees to uphold integrity and commitment while making patients’ wellbeing a priority in their professional practice.
The Provost of the ABUAD College of Pharmacy, Prof. Mbang Femi-Oyewo, also urged the new pharmacists to pursue competence, protect their integrity, practise with empathy and embrace innovation in the service of humanity.
She advised them to remain committed to ethical practice and “serve humanity and be godly in their daily endeavours.”