A lot of Nigerian students dream of working in the medical industry. Fortunately, there are so many courses in the University that you can study and one of them is Pharmacy. Courses like medicine and surgery and medical laboratory are highly sought after. Pharmacy is highly sought after too but it’s easier to get admission in it than the others.
If you want to study Pharmacy in Nigeria, it’s ideal you study only in the best schools. Therefore, checkout the top 9 best universities for pharmacy in Nigeria:
1. University of Nigeria (UNN)
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka is one of three universities in Nigeria that awards the doctor of pharmacy degree. It is an upgrade from the bachelor of pharmacy degree (BPharm) that many other universities still award to their pharmacy graduates upon completion of their course.
You should be very serious if you must study pharmacy in UNN as only the best will graduate after five years of study, not including internship. If you are a prospective pharmacy student, UNN should be one of your top three choices.
2. University of Benin (UNIBEN)
At UNN, the pharmacy program began in 2001 after the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), the country’s regulatory body for pharmacy education and practice, approved the program’s start. The National Universities Commission (NUC) did not officially approve the PharmD degree program until 2016.
The University of Benin PharmD program is six years long. Students graduate with a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) and a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD). UNIBEN previously offered a five-year BPharm degree program starting in 1970. Student pharmacists receive extensive preclinical/professional clinical training in hospitals and community pharmacies as part of their PharmD program.
Students will learn about patient counselling, drug information, pharmaceutical care, adverse event reporting, and pharmacovigilance. The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) expect that in the near future, PharmD degrees would be required for registration of new pharmacy graduates in Nigeria.
3. Bayero University Kano (BUK)
Bayero University, Kano, is currently Nigeria’s third pharmacy school. In that regard, it joins UNN and UNIBEN as mentioned earlier. This university is one of the best in the country to study pharmacy. In addition to making a student’s learning experience worthwhile, they ensure that only the best get admitted to their pharmacy school.
4. University of Ibadan (UI)
From UI, you can get the BPharm degree and not the PharmD. Regardless, it is one of the best universities in the country to study pharmacy. The school prepares well-rounded pharmacists who can positively impact the country.
UI’s pharmacy faculty is divided into six departments. The faculty has a CDDDP – Center for Drug Discovery, Development, and Production. Professors, readers, and lecturers make up the Faculty’s over 60 lecturers. They have produced leaders in community pharmacy practice, hospital practice, academia and other related sectors.
5. Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)
Pharmacy in this school was first introduced in 1957 at the erstwhile Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Ibadan Branch. Established in 1962, the Obafemi Awolowo University, then University of Ife, remained a Department under the Faculty of Science. However, it continued to award Diplomas in Pharmacy until June 1965, while also launching a B.Pharm degree program in September 1963.
The University Senate agreed in 1968/69 to make the Department a complete Faculty with four primary departments: Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy, and Pharmaceutics. As a result, the Faculty grew at the University’s Ibadan Campus until September 1972, when it moved to its current facility on the Ile-Ife campus.
During its evolution, the Faculty had three units: Drug Research, Pilot Drug Production, and Drug Quality Control, which were absorbed into the Departments of Pharmacognosy, Pharmaceutics, and Pharmaceutical Chemistry. They were separated from the Departments in 1978/79 and renamed the ‘Drug Research and Production Unit’ to better coordinate the Faculty’s research efforts.
The School Senate approved the Unit becoming a department in the Faculty of Pharmacy in 1983. The Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Administration was officially established in November 1996, after a long stay in the Dean’s Office. Staff development programs at the University have helped the Faculty to recruit more teachers and researchers.
6. University of Lagos (UNILAG)
The University of Lagos’ pharmacy faculty produces world-class pharmacists. It has long been one of the best universities in the country for students seeking a BPharm degree. The university’s pharmacy faculty was founded in 1980 as part of the college of medicine. It started out with two departments that leaned more towards pharmacy than medicine.
The University of Lagos’ undergraduate pharmacy program prepares men and women for the pharmacy profession. The philosophy of pharmacy education includes setting standards to ensure quality. UNILAG Pharmacists are trained and educated for a wide range of scientific, professional, and managerial functions that best serve the community and are adaptable to changing health care delivery systems.
7. University of Jos (UNIJOS)
The University of Jos pharmacy faculty was established in 1983 at the defunct Federal University of Technology Makurdi. It was amalgamated with Jos University after a year. It was renamed the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1988.
This faculty’s professional lecturers and administrators bring out the best in their pupils. A rigorous training program shapes each student’s identity. The faculty also provides learning aids for pupils. It is one of the universities in the country offering BPharm.
8. Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU)
The Nnamdi Azikiwe University pharmacy program began in 2006/2007 and has grown to be one of the best in the country. The university’s Agulu campus produces top-notch pharmacists who are well-versed in both Nigerian pharmacy and global pharmacy best practices.
9. Ahmadu Bello University (ABU)
In 1968, the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology was established under the Faculty of Science. ABU Zaria’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences now has five departments. The university offers a professional Pharmacy undergraduate programme leading to a B.Pharm degree, required for pharmacist registration with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN). The faculty’s vision is to be a leader in pharmaceutical education, research, and practice.
Bottom Line
You can attend any of the schools listed above depending on the region you reside in. They are the best universities for pharmacy in Nigeria.