The Chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Kwara State chapter, Mr. Mojeed Oderinde, has said there is acute shortage of pharmacists in the country.

Stating that Nigeria has about 16,000 practitioners, he added that 5,000 out of the number practised abroad while about 11,000 served Nigeria's over 160 million population.

He spoke at a media briefing on the 86th national conference of PSN in Ilorin on Thursday.

He stated that the conference, which has its theme as 'Evolving best practice in patient care,' would attract about 4,000 pharmacists.

He added that the conference would improve on tourism, economic power of the people, generate employment opportunities and open discussions for investment in the state.

Oderinde blamed the Federal Government for the non-manufacturing of drugs in Nigeria, 53 years after its independence.

He said the FG's policies had not encouraged industrialists to manufacture drugs in the country, adding that the government had rather encouraged importation of drugs.