A former Chief of Army Staff, Retired Gen. Theophilus Danjuma was on Wednesday awarded the Honorary Fellowship of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAP) at the 2018 Investiture, Academy and Luncheon.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Danjuma, now an astute businessman, is currently the Chairman of the leading drug manufacturing company, May and Baker Nigeria Plc.

Other recipient of NAP Award is a seasoned pharmacist, Chief Olu Akinkugbe, who bagged Lifetime Achievement Award.

Akinkugbe was in 1972 the President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and also the founder of Vitalink Pharmaceutical Industry, a company responsible for producing Over the Counter (OTC) medicines.

The 2018 Investiture, Academy Lecture and Luncheon was held at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Mobolaji Bank-Anthony, Ikeja.

In his remarks, the President of NAP, Chief Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, said that the academy owed the society a debt in providing safer and more convenient affordable medicines to Nigerians.

“NAP owes the society a duty to help unravel better, safer, more convenient and more affordable medicines and treatment regimens for diseases that afflicts mankind.

“It is for this reason that research is central to our operations, one of the major reasons that the academy came into being. We want to complement local and international efforts that support scientific research.

“Much of the work we have done in this regard has been in the area of advocacy in engaging government and policy makers on the essence of scientific research.

“That is the reason it is critical to provide better funding and other moral support to scientific research-focussed institutions as well as individual researches,’’ he said.

Adelusi-Adeluyi said that it was time for the country to rise up to the occasion of proper research into the indigenous production of local drugs.

“I think it is time we do more than talking about indigenous drugs, and make sure we put it into action by engaging in a proper research at ensuring that we reach our destination.

“We need adequate support to showcase what we have here and funding through our institution in ensuring that our pharmaceutical industries are developed to cater for the needs of Nigerians.

“We have also thought about leadership striven to bring these issues to the fore of public consciousness as a way of shoring up interest by the public and systematically pressurising government to avail scientific research.

“We remain proud of the Academy’s work in other areas, especially with regards to its ongoing effort at facilitating inter-professional collaboration among Nigerian health workers,’’ he said. (NAN)