I. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Pharmacy started in 1983 as a Faculty in the defunct Federal University of Technology, Makurdi, and was referred to as "The Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Technology" with an initial enrolment of 38 students. In 1984 The Federal University of Technology, Makurdi was merged with the University of Jos and four years later, the Federal Government demerged the Makurdi Campus of the University of Jos and converted it to a University of Agriculture. The Federal Government further directed that the Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Technology should be transferred to Jos. The Faculty therefore moved to Jos in December 1988 and was renamed "The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences" and temporarily housed in facilities belonging to The Faculty of Natural Sciences until June 1995 when the Faculty finally moved to its present permanent complex, the most modern in the country to date. The first batch of students numbering 31, graduated in 1990 after the Faculty was accredited by the then Pharmacists’ Board of Nigeria.

II. THE FACULTY MISSION STATEMENT

* To provide competence for performing all pharmaceutical services especially in Nigeria and the world at large (industrial, hospital, community including agro and veterinary, regulatory agencies and academic) so that in conjunction with other health care providers its graduates will ensure an effective patient care.

* To enhance traditional medicine practice and encourage ethnopharmacological screening with a view to marketing traditional locally derived drugs.

* To carry out relevant and meaningful research in the field of pharmacy.

* To be involved in community services (awareness campaigns on topical issues such as drug abuse, misuse, fake and counterfeit drugs, drug manufacturing and quality control).

* To be involved in other activities appropriate or relevant to the pharmacy profession.

III. THE FACULTY OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES TODAY

The faculty is made up of four departments, namely:

Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy

Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology

Pharmacognosy

and

Pharmaceutical Chemistry.

The faculty has implemented the course credit unit system despite the shortcomings experienced and supports the installation of the collegiate system. The Faculty which started its professional programme with 38 students and 6 staff can today boast of an average annual student intake of a hundred, over the last four years, with a total student population of over 500, and a staff strength of 85 (30 academics and 50 support staff). Reports from all sectors, about its graduates have been extremely good but operating funds provided are grossly inadequate.

IV. THE VISION OF THE FACULY OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES

The faculty will strive to become the best Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the country and the West Africa Sub-Region, providing well-rounded pharmacists.

Its main areas of strength in the short term will be:

* Herbal Medical Research:

This will be vigorously pursued and expanded to include development of novel dosage forms from identified bioactive materials which are found in the middle belt of Nigeria and using these as leads or probes in the synthesis of such compounds.

* Developing and understanding the molecular basis of new chemotherapeutic agents such that companies and organisations will develop interest and provide grants.

* Drug Analysis - in all its ramifications.

V. GOALS AND STRATEGIES:

FS = Faculty Strategy

Goal 1: Comprehensive strength in undergraduate programmes

FS 1.1 Direct all policies to achieve academic excellence.

FS 1.2 Introduce an interview in addition to existing admission requirements in addition to approved credit requirements in relevant subjects in the Senior Secondary School Certificate examination

FS 1.3 Ensure the admission of students remains competitive and that the faculty quota does not overstretch existing facilities.

FS1.4 Introduce a new curriculum and computer facilities to reflect recent developments in the practice of the pharmacy profession.

FS 1.5 Support the creation of a Department of Clinical and Pharmacy Management as prescribed in the NUC Minimum Standards Document for Pharmaceutical Education in Nigeria and as obtainable in older schools of Pharmacy, provided the student enrolment and full time equivalent, justifies it.

FS 1.6 Provide departments in the faculty adequate funds and invest in the supply of equipment.

Goal 2: First class postgraduate and professional programmes in a significant number of areas.

FS 2.1 Emphasise the patient concepts to including communication skills, drug information and administration, good manufacturing and laboratory practices, agro and veterinary pharmaceuticals, and relevant regulatory guidelines.

FS 2.2 Support the creation of two units in the department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology namely:

Pharmaceutics & Pharmaceutical Microbiology;

Pharmaceutical Technology;

In the long term these units can grow into departments provided full time equivalent enrolment conditions are met.

FS 2.3 Encourage patency right for original creative work to guarantee and protect the interest of the inventor or discoverer and the University.

FS 2.4 Commence postgraduate programmes in all existing departments.

Goal 3: A quality academic and conducive working environment.

FS 3.1 Foster the provision of vital incentives such as a good salary package and adequate facilities.

FS 3.2 Limit annual student headcount enrolment to one hundred, in line with existing facilities.

FS 3.3 Improve library facilities.

Goal 4: Academic and Administrative Staff of National and International Distinction:

FS 4.1 Foster the recruitment and retention of qualified staff , providing them with training and retraining opportunities.

FS 4.2 Support the participation of academic staff at conferences, locally and internationally, without presentation of papers as the only criterion.

FS 4.3 Foster the participation of staff in contract research for industries .

Goal 5: Effective and efficient utilisation of limited resources.

FS 5.1 Support the introduction of a long vacation programme to address the problem arising from cancellation of resit examinations among other things.

FS 5.2 Establish more linkages with other reputable Institutions or Centres both in Nigeria and abroad.

FS 5.3 Share a college bus (run in a self funding way) with other faculties in the same college, for staff and students to go for clinical ward rounds and field trips.

FS 5.4 Beef up security to protect faculty facilities and minimise loss through theft.

Goal 6: Increased provision and use of information technology

FS 6.1 Establish a faculty computer laboratory and provide computers for staff in their offices.

Goal 7: Decentralisation and Transparency in Administration

FS 7.1 Support the installation of the collegiate system.

Goal 8: Increased Participation of a diverse range of stakeholders

FS 8.1 Mount diploma programmes in the areas listed below to generate revenue for the University.

* Detection and identification of fake, counterfeit and substandard pharmaceutical products.

* Total Quality Control Measures.

* Pharmacy Management for both Pharmacy and non Pharmacy Graduates.

* Pharmaceutical Productions.

* Traditional or Herbal Remedies.

* Patient Medicine Vendors or Dealers.

FS 8.2 Maintain a solvent recycling system or unit to be gainfully involved in the production of solvents such as methanol, ethanol, chloroform, and liquid nitrogen.

FS 8.3 Set up  University Drug Manufacturing and Drug Control Units.

VI. ACTION PLAN

Correct all deficiencies in the faculty to bring it to full accreditation status.

Improve the Central Library facilities and set up Departmental Libraries.

Commence the installation of the Collegiate System.

Foster increased funding from the university to the faculty, through the use of an internal funding model based on NUC norms.

Introduce an interview in addition to existing admission requirement.

Maintain a solvent recycling system or unit to be gainfully involved in the production of solvents such as methanol, ethanol, chloroform, and liquid nitrogen.

1999 to 2000:

Introduce a new curriculum and computer facilities.

Support the introduction of a long vacation programme to address the problem arising from cancellation of resit examinations among other things.

Commence postgraduate programmes in all existing departments

Beef up security to protect faculty facilities and minimise loss through theft.

2000 to 2001:

Establish a Faculty Computer Laboratory.

Share a college bus (run in a self funding way) with other faculties in the same college, for staff and students to go for clinical ward rounds and field trips.

Mount diploma programmes to generate revenue for the University.

2001 to 2002:

Set up  University Drug Manufacturing and Drug Control Units.

2002 to 2003:

Introduce two new departments namely:

Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Microbiology

and

Pharmaceutical Technology.

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