The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) is hosting the first cycle of the 2025 Foreign Pharmacy Graduates Orientation Programme (FPGOP) organised by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN).
Speaking in Nsukka on Monday during the orientation flag-off, Prof. Chukwuemeka Nworu, Dean, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences UNN, said that FPGOP was designed by PCN exclusively for Nigerians who abtained their pharmacy certificates outside Nigeria.
He said that the reason for the orientation was to determine if the certificates obtained by these foreign pharmacy graduates meet the standard of PCN to practice in Nigeria.
“Today 40 abroad graduates who registered for the programme are today taking their accreditation exam, those successful will go for oral eligibility interview after which those that scale-through would be shortlisted to commence the six week orientation.
“The candidates are expected to write the final exam at the end of the six weeks programme and the successful ones would be recommended to PCN for the issuance of practicing licence in Nigeria.
“During this six weeks they will be receiving lecturers from the faculty, and from time to time external examiners from the council will be coming in to check their performance,” he said.
The Dean who is the chairman of FPGOP said that UNN is honoured to host the first cycle of the 2025 orientation programme taken place in UNN for the South and Gombe State University for the northern part of the country.
“Our faculty will host this important programme which serves as a vital bridge between foreign pharmacy education and the standard of professional practice expected within Nigeria.
“On behalf of the the University Ag. Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oguejiofo Ujam, I warmly welcome our distinguished guests, deans facilitators, and most importantly, our foreign-trained pharmacy graduates.
“The Faculty stands fully prepared to support you throughout this six-week programme, as the FPGOP is a unique opportunity to refine their knowledge, strengthen their clinical skills, and fully align with the ethical and regulatory frameworks governing pharmacy practice in Nigeria,” he said.
Nworu commended the Registrar of PCN, Pharm. Ibrahim Ahmed and the council for finding the faculty of Pharmaceutical Science UNN worthy to host the first cycle of the 2025 orientation.
Speaking, the PCN registrar who was represented by Pharm. (Mrs) Ifeyinwa Ohiaeri, South East Zonal Director of PCN, said that one of the mandates of the council is to screen abroad trained pharmacy graduates to ascertain if they met the PCN standard to practice in Nigeria.
“The aim of this six-week orientation is to screen the abroad pharmacy graduates with the view of giving licence to those who meet the PCN required standard, to practice in Nigeria,” she said.
The registrar, however, advised parents to always find out the status of the universities they sent their children to study abroad.
He explained that such inquiry will help them to know if such university is recognized and accredited by the host country, parents can do this finding through the Federal Ministry of Education in Nigeria.
“Always find out if from the Federal Ministry of Education in Nigeria if the school you are sending you children abroad is recognized and accredited by the host country.
“This is to avoid your child from wasting years in such university abroad that are not recognized or accredited by the host country and will also not be recognized by Nigeria,” he said.
Ahmed disclose that the council always considered the leadership capacity of dean of the faculty Pharmaceutical Sciences before awarding the hosting right for the orientation.
“UNN’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science was given the hosting right for the south part of the country because the dean (Nworu) is competent and capable to handle this national assignment of PCN.