PCN, SCIDaR Sign MOU to Develop Digital Finance Hub for Community Pharmacists and PPMVs

The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) and the Solina Centre for International Development and Research (SCIDaR) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance the development of a Digital Finance Hub (DFH) for licensed health-sector businesses, including Community Pharmacists (CPs) and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs).

The agreement was signed on Friday, 11 September 2026, according to an announcement by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria.

The proposed Digital Finance Hub is intended to provide a single digital access point through which licensed health businesses can connect with regulators, financial institutions, commodity suppliers and other business-support partners.

The initiative is expected to address some of the financial and operational challenges faced by small and medium-sized healthcare businesses operating at community level.

From regulatory compliance to access to finance

The partnership builds on work already undertaken by SCIDaR and its partners through the Promoting Accreditation for Community Health Services (PACS) programme.

In its documentation for the Digital Finance Hub, SCIDaR identified limited access to appropriate financing as a significant constraint affecting the growth and sustainability of health-sector micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly PPMVs and Community Pharmacists serving underserved communities.

SCIDaR said the proposed platform would bring together different actors within the primary healthcare value chain and expand access to financial and business services for healthcare providers across Nigeria.

The planned platform is therefore positioned not simply as a financing tool, but as a broader digital ecosystem connecting healthcare businesses with services needed to operate and grow within a regulated environment.

What the Digital Finance Hub could offer

According to the project description, the Hub is designed to connect licensed health MSMEs with financial institutions, regulators, suppliers and service providers through an interoperable web and mobile platform.

The system is expected to support areas including access to finance, regulatory formalisation, compliance verification, business support and access to quality commodities. SCIDaR's project documents also envisage integration with regulatory and financial systems to make services more accessible to participating healthcare businesses.

For Community Pharmacists and PPMVs, such integration could potentially reduce the need to navigate multiple systems separately when seeking financing, maintaining regulatory compliance or accessing business-support services.

The initiative is particularly relevant to community-based healthcare providers because they often operate as small businesses while simultaneously providing essential health services within their communities.

Why the partnership matters to pharmacy

For pharmacists, access to finance is closely linked to the ability to maintain and expand a viable practice.

A community pharmacy requires investment in medicines and other health commodities, appropriate storage facilities, technology, staffing and regulatory compliance. Where access to affordable financing is limited, these requirements can become significant barriers to business growth.

A digital platform that brings financial institutions and regulators into the same ecosystem could potentially make it easier for eligible pharmacy businesses to demonstrate their regulatory status and access appropriate financial products.

SCIDaR's earlier project documentation specifically proposed features that would connect health MSMEs with financial institutions while integrating compliance verification with relevant regulatory bodies.

For PCN, participation also provides an opportunity to strengthen the link between regulatory compliance and business sustainability.

A potential shift towards digital regulatory services

The initiative comes as PCN continues to expand its use of digital systems for pharmacy regulation.

The Council's official website currently provides online services including practitioner registration, licensing, payment and verification of pharmacists and premises. PCN says its mandate includes monitoring, inspection, enforcement and implementation of policies governing pharmacy practice in Nigeria.

The Digital Finance Hub could extend this digital approach beyond licensing and verification by connecting regulatory information with financial and commercial services.

That could be particularly important for smaller healthcare businesses that may struggle with fragmented administrative processes.

What happens next?

The signing of the MOU establishes a formal partnership around the Digital Finance Hub, but the ultimate impact will depend on how the platform is implemented and adopted.

SCIDaR's earlier project plan envisaged the Hub as a scalable platform that could eventually connect providers, regulators, financial institutions, suppliers and other service providers nationwide.

Key issues to watch will include which financial institutions and suppliers participate, how Community Pharmacists and PPMVs will be onboarded, what regulatory information will be integrated, and how data privacy and security will be managed.

For pharmacists, the most important question will be whether the platform translates into simpler access to finance and business services without creating additional compliance burdens.

If successfully implemented, the Digital Finance Hub could provide a new model for linking pharmaceutical regulation with financial inclusion and business development, particularly for community-based healthcare providers.

Pharmacy Times Nigeria will continue to monitor the development of the Digital Finance Hub and its implications for Community Pharmacists, PPMVs and primary healthcare delivery in Nigeria.