Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has unveiled three locally developed pharmaceutical products and called for greater acceptance of Nigerian-made medicines, urging the country to reduce its dependence on imported herbal remedies from China and India.
The products — AB Mal, ABUAD Virucidine and AB Health Animation 250mg — were presented at the AB Pharmaceuticals Business Summit held at the university on Friday, October 9, 2026.
The event brought together pharmaceutical marketers and other industry stakeholders to explore strategies for expanding the products’ distribution and market reach.
The university said the initiative was part of efforts to connect local research and pharmaceutical development with commercial distribution, while encouraging greater investment in medicines developed within Nigeria.
Speaking at the summit, the Deputy Director of AB Pharmaceutical Services, Oluwatoyin Afolabi, said the country’s continued patronage of imported herbal products, despite its indigenous medicinal resources and growing research capacity, reflected an economic dependence that needed to be addressed.
She said the immediate objective was to establish marketing partnerships that would make the university’s products more accessible to Nigerians.
“The ultimate reason we are here today is to establish a marketing plan that will help us take these products to the Nigerian people,” Afolabi said.
She criticised what she described as Nigerians’ preference for imported traditional medicines, arguing that locally developed alternatives deserved greater attention and investment.
“We have served the Indians enough, and we have served the Chinese enough,” she said, calling for a shift towards locally developed products.
Afolabi added that the initiative reflected the vision of the university’s founder, Aare Afe Babalola, to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to develop and produce medicines for its population.
She said the university hoped to establish business relationships with the Association of Pharmaceutical Product Marketers of Nigeria and other stakeholders to improve distribution and public awareness.
The products are being positioned for different uses. According to Vice-Chancellor Professor Smaranda Olarinde, AB Mal is intended for potential use in fever-associated conditions, ABUAD Virucidine is presented for its potential antioxidant and immune-support properties, while AB Health Animation 250mg is marketed around potential antioxidant and anti-ageing-related benefits.
However, Olarinde stressed that the university’s reputation alone would not be sufficient to guarantee the products’ acceptance in the pharmaceutical market.
She said quality, safety, efficacy, regulatory compliance and scientific evidence must underpin their development and commercial success.
“Quality, evidence, safety, efficacy, regulatory compliance and professional confidence must keep that door open,” the vice-chancellor said in her address.
Olarinde also called for stronger collaboration among universities, pharmaceutical companies, regulators, healthcare professionals, investors and consumers to move promising innovations from research laboratories to the marketplace.
According to her, effective partnerships and credible scientific information would be necessary to build confidence among pharmacists, distributors and consumers.
The chairman of the Association of Pharmaceutical Product Marketers of Nigeria in Ekiti State, Peter Ajayi, commended Babalola’s efforts and pledged the association’s support for efforts to increase the products’ reach.
The summit comes amid broader calls for Nigeria to strengthen local pharmaceutical manufacturing, develop research capacity and reduce exposure to imported healthcare products.
The three products’ presentation highlights ABUAD’s effort to commercialise locally developed pharmaceutical innovations. Their long-term acceptance, however, will depend on evidence of quality, safety and efficacy, regulatory compliance, affordability and reliable distribution.
