The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called on the Federal Government to immediately appoint qualified administrators to head agencies, institutions, and departments within Nigeria’s health sector.

 

The call was made in a statement signed by ACPN National Chairman, Ambrose Ezeh, who warned that the sector is facing worsening internal crises, ranging from salary disparities and inter-professional rivalries to the persistent domination of leadership positions by one cadre of professionals, mainly physicians.

 

Ezeh stressed that placing administrators at the helm of health institutions would restore professionalism and balance in the sector, noting that such was the standard practice in Nigeria up until 1985.

 

“From the 1970s to the mid-80s, Nigeria’s health system functioned efficiently under the leadership of professional administrators,” Ezeh recalled.

“During that era, healthcare delivery in Nigeria attracted foreigners, and institutions like UCH Ibadan were ranked among the top five in the Commonwealth.”

 

 

 

He attributed the decline in healthcare management to the Decree 10 of 1985, introduced under the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida and then Minister of Health Olukoye Ransome-Kuti, which shifted hospital leadership exclusively to physicians, a move Ezeh described as a deviation from ethical and global best practices.

 

“Healthcare administration is an autonomous professional field. Globally, trained administrators are entrusted with managing hospitals, while medical professionals focus on care delivery. Nigeria must return to that model,” he argued.

 

 

 

Ezeh also decried the politicization of wages in the sector, alleging that physicians not only negotiate preferential salary structures but also influence what is allocated to other health professionals.

 

He concluded by urging the government to pursue comprehensive health sector reforms, stressing that real progress requires inclusive leadership and respect for all health professions.

 

“For Nigeria to escape the cycle of stagnation in its health system, reforms must be rooted in equity, professionalism, and global standards,” Ezeh said.