UNIZIK Named Southern Centre for PCN’s Second 2026 Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Programme

Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) has been selected as the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria’s (PCN) designated centre for the Southern region for the second cycle of the 2026 Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Orientation Programme (FPGOP), strengthening the university’s role in the professional integration of foreign-trained pharmacists into Nigeria’s healthcare system.

The development was highlighted during a courtesy visit by the PCN Registrar, Pharm. Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, and members of the Council to the Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof. Ugochukwu Bond Anyaehie, following the delegation’s arrival at the university for the programme.

UNIZIK’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Agulu Campus will host participants from the Southern region, while Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, will serve as the designated centre for the Northern region.

According to the information provided by the university, Ahmed commended UNIZIK for its continued support for the training and professional integration of foreign-trained pharmacists and said the Council had repeatedly selected the institution because of its facilities and suitability for exposing participants to the realities of pharmacy practice and jurisprudence in Nigeria.

The FPGOP is an important part of the regulatory pathway for Nigerians whose undergraduate pharmacy degrees were obtained from recognised institutions outside Nigeria. PCN describes the programme as being specifically designed for Nigerians whose pharmacy degrees were conferred by recognised schools of pharmacy outside the country.

Under PCN’s published guidelines, foreign-trained pharmacy graduates seeking registration in Nigeria are required to participate in the FPGOP before proceeding through the relevant registration process. The Council’s current guidelines provide for regular and online categories, with the regular programme intended for graduates with less than five years of post-qualification experience and the online category for those with five years or more of relevant post-qualification experience and a current licence in their country of training or residence.

The Council’s most recent public notice for the first cycle of the 2026 programme scheduled the regular FPGOP over six weeks and included written and oral eligibility interviews as part of the process.

The programme also comes as Nigeria expands opportunities for foreign-trained pharmacists

The selection of UNIZIK comes against a broader effort to strengthen pharmacy education and professional training in Nigeria.

During the visit, Ahmed also commended the university’s participation in TETFund-supported initiatives aimed at expanding admission capacity in Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry and Nursing. He expressed the hope that the university would continue to develop the facilities and resources required to accommodate increased student numbers.

The Federal Government’s medical-training expansion initiative includes Nnamdi Azikiwe University among the universities selected for intervention aimed at expanding training capacity in the four professional disciplines. The initiative is expected to support infrastructure and other requirements needed to accommodate additional students.

Responding, Anyaehie reaffirmed the university’s commitment to strengthening its Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and developing it into one of Nigeria’s leading centres for pharmacy education.

The Vice-Chancellor said the university had already begun steps towards expanding the Faculty. He noted that Pharmacy had been incorporated into the newly created College of Health Sciences as part of the university’s restructuring and expansion plans, while the institution remained open to establishing a standalone College of Pharmacy when necessary.

Anyaehie also outlined plans to improve infrastructure supporting pharmacy education, including expansion of Computer-Based Test capacity, student accommodation, power supply, solar-powered facilities and dedicated reading spaces.

He stressed that infrastructure would need to be adequate before admission quotas were increased, with the university seeking to ensure that expansion does not compromise the quality of education and professional training.

Prof. Sunday O. Nduka, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and hosting Dean for the programme, also commended the Vice-Chancellor for his support for projects aimed at improving the Agulu Campus.

Nduka described the decision to designate UNIZIK as the Southern centre for the FPGOP as an important opportunity for the Faculty and the university, particularly in strengthening its visibility and contribution to professional pharmacy training.

Why the development matters

For foreign-trained Nigerian pharmacists, the FPGOP represents an important bridge between overseas pharmacy education and the regulatory and practice environment in Nigeria.

For UNIZIK, hosting the programme places its Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the centre of a national professional integration process while also creating an opportunity to demonstrate the capacity of its facilities and academic staff.

The development also comes at a time when Nigeria is seeking to expand the capacity of its health-professional training institutions. How effectively universities such as UNIZIK translate increased investment and admission capacity into adequate infrastructure, faculty strength and quality training will therefore remain important to the sustainability of the expansion.