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Fidson Healthcare Plc, one of Nigeria’s leading pharmaceutical companies founded by Fidelis Ayebae, has deepened its partnership with Japan’s Ohara Pharmaceutical Company Ltd to boost local drug manufacturing in Nigeria and across Africa.
The renewed agreement was announced at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), a key platform for strengthening economic ties between Japan and Africa. As part of the partnership, Ohara will assist Fidson in raising capital and share advanced pharmaceutical expertise to help the company increase production of specialized medicines.
Leadership change at Fidson
The deal comes at a significant moment for Fidson, following the retirement of Ayebae as managing director and CEO on August 1. For nearly three decades, he steered the company from a small drug distributor into a $66 million pharmaceutical player.
His successor, Abiola Adetunji Adebayo, a longtime director, led Fidson’s delegation to Tokyo alongside Finance Director Imokha Ayebae and Business Development and Marketing Director Oshoke Ayebae. Calling the agreement a milestone for Fidson, Adebayo said: “Putting this alliance on a world stage like TICAD shows that the Fidson-Ohara partnership is built to last.”
Reducing Nigeria’s reliance on imports
Nigeria still relies heavily on imported medicines, with over 70 percent of drugs and nearly all active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) sourced from abroad. Fidson aims to change that.
By tapping into Ohara’s expertise—particularly in pediatric oncology and generics—the company plans to expand local production, reduce dependence on imports, and make essential medicines more accessible.
“By using Ohara’s know-how, we are strengthening local production, improving quality, and making medicines more affordable. This partnership will also help Nigeria rely less on foreign supplies,” Adebayo said.
For Ohara, the collaboration opens the door to Africa’s growing pharmaceutical market. Seiji Ohara, the company’s president and CEO, emphasized the trust underpinning the partnership. “We hope to support Fidson’s growth and help save more lives by sharing our latest innovations and technologies,” he said.
Ayebae’s lasting imprint
Fidson’s founder, Fidelis Ayebae, played a key role in shaping the company’s success. From establishing a state-of-the-art plant in Ota, Ogun State, to becoming the first Nigerian firm to produce antiretroviral drugs locally, his vision left a lasting mark on the industry.
Though he no longer serves as CEO, Ayebae remains Fidson’s largest individual shareholder with a 33.1 percent stake and is among the wealthiest investors on the Nigerian Exchange. The strengthened partnership with Ohara signals a new chapter for Fidson, one that blends Japanese expertise with Nigerian ingenuity to advance Africa’s pharmaceutical sector.
