The Role of Research, Quality Improvement, and Training in Achieving Medicines Security in Nigeria: A Cross‐Sectional Exploration of Stakeholders' Perspectives

Background and Aims Equitable access to medicines remains a challenge in Nigeria with issues such as sub‐optimal national pharmaceutical production capacities and the need to improve relevant quality standards. Thus, in order to identify context‐specific solutions to this challenge, this study aimed to assess the perspectives of stakeholders in the healthcare value chain on the role of quality improvement and capacity‐building strategies relevant to expediting medicines security in Nigeria. Methods A national cross‐sectional survey was conducted in Nigeria using a multistage sampling technique. A pretested questionnaire was administered to relevant stakeholders in the health sector. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were undertaken using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 25. Results A total of 416 questionnaires were retrieved. Just over a third of the study participants (37.9%) surveyed were actively employed in the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector. Nearly all the participants (94.8%) believed regulatory authorities should ensure the stringent implementation of Good Manufacturing Practices to sustain consistency in the quality of medicines. Similarly, over three‐quarters of the study cohort (86.1%) indicated that the pharmaceutical sector, as well as relevant agencies in the industry, should be prioritised by the government, as this was critical in achieving medicines security. Also, a strong majority of the participants indicated that attaining the World Health Organization pre‐qualification status was necessary to ensure access to high‐quality medicines. There was a significant association between the participants' sociodemographic characteristics and key study variables. A higher proportion of the respondents with more than 5 years of experience agreed that investment in research and development was important to improve the quality of medicines, and this was statistically significant ( p = 0.009). Conclusion This cross‐sectional study highlights strategic areas based on stakeholders' perceptions where interventions and reforms can be channelled to support efforts towards expediting the achievement of medicines security in Nigeria.