Below is the full text of his speech. 

ADDRESS BY PHARM. AHMED I. YAKASAI, FPSN, FNIM, FNAPharm, PRESIDENT OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY OF NIGERIA (PSN) DURING THE OFFICIAL LAUNCHING OF PSN FOUNDATION AND INAUGURATION OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE FOUNDATION, ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017 AT TRANSCORP HILTON, ABUJA

Protocol

I have the honour and privilege to welcome our distinguished guests and members of the Board of Trustees of PSN Foundation who are about to be inaugurated today as pioneer drivers of our foundation. Today, history is being made as PSN in her usual tradition of being pacesetters has taken the initiative to establish a foundation (platform) which seeks to develop innovative and sustainable approaches to curb the challenges of healthcare delivery and help improve healthcare systems in Nigeria.

Today is one of the happiest days of my life. I am so elated to witness a day like this, where Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (our noble society) founded 90 years ago, one of the most organized, robust and oldest professional bodies in West Africa is taking the lead as the first professional body to launch a foundation in Nigeria. For emphasis, it is also on record that PSN is one of the few professional bodies in Sub-Saharan Africa to establish a foundation. This reaffirm our commitment to continue the tradition of our founding fathers and past leaders who have the vision of innovation, service to humanity and professional excellence.

I was particularly inspired to embark on this novel course when I visited the Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) Mumbai, the Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in the Americas (NAPPSA), and the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), and discovered what their well established foundations were doing. However, let me state that even before now PSN has contributed immensely to the advancement of the health sector and national development in the last 90 years. The success story of PSN-PACHFaH (Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health) testifies to the impact the Society has made in advancing child and family health through advocacy. Nonetheless, despite this achievement in public health through collaborations with governments and Non Governmental Organizations, there is still a need to have Foundation that will focus entirely on these and other activities in a more sustainable way.

PSN Foundation will promote research and development, promote education in the expansive field of pharmacy practice in Nigeria, it will also carter for the welfare of pharmacists and Nigerians at large and provide scholarships to deserving pharmacists and their children, and promote national development. Thus, the PSN Foundation will have the mandate to impact on the welfare and well-being of all Nigerians. The impact on the general public shall be delivered through well articulated Public Health Campaigns and Programmes, Fight Against Fake, Substandard and Falsified drugs

, Drug Abuse, Emergency Response (Humanitarian Assistance), Advocacy for Childhood and Family Health Diseases, like Nutrition, Pneumonia and Diarrhoea, Routine Immunisation, HIV/AIDS, Malaria Prevention and Treatment, Non Communicable Diseases and Maternal and Child Health. Our intention is to serve the vulnerable ones within the society to have optimum health.

The Foundation will also present awards in recognition of excellence to deserving Pharmacists, Groups and other individuals periodically. The Foundation Awards 

programme will recognise contributions to health care quality and safety in four categories. The foundation will collaborate with similar institutions in achieving its aims and objectives.

On behalf of all Nigerian pharmacists, and most especially the NEC and Council members of PSN, I welcome you all to the official launching of PSN Foundation and inauguration of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation.
We’ve carefully selected some of the best and most trusted Nigerians as members of trustees of the foundation. The Board of Trustees shall be chaired by the former President of PSN, Pharm. (Alhaji) Mohammed Yaro Budah, FPSN,mni; while Pharm. Lere Baale, FPSN,(Vice Chairman), Pharm. Remi Adeseun, FPSN, (Secretary), Pharm. Ike John Igwu, FPSN (Treasurer) and Pharm. Margaret Ebigwelu-Ibru, FPSN, PhD (Public Relations Officer). Other members of the Board of Trustees include Gen (Pharm) Ibrahim Umar Babangida, Rtd, Pharm. Clare Omatseye, Pharm. Joke Bakare, as well as the National Treasurer of PSN and the President of PSN.

Let me assure you that we will pursue our mission and vision vigorously and abide by the laws guiding our modus operandi. My belief is that PSN foundation will bring opportunity to promote health to the vulnerable, serve as the corner stone for training and promoting selfless service to humanity.

My prayer is that everyone here will become a stakeholder of this foundation as Pfizer Foundation, RayVal Foundation, Dallas, USA, Janssen of Johnson and Johnson, Maternal, Newborn & Child Health Programme (MNCH2) and Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH) have already joined the train.

We are grateful and indebted to all our invited guests who are specifically invited to be part of this event, because we know that as partners in progress we can together make a difference and improve the lives of our citizens.

I want to end my address with the following poem

Touch Lives Positively
Whatever we touch, we leave fingerprints.
As we touch other people's lives, we leave our identity in them.
Life is better when you are happy; but life is at its best when others are happy because of you.
Be faithful in touching other people's hearts; be an inspiration.
Nothing is more important and worth practising than being a channel of God's blessing.
Nothing in nature lives for itself.
Rivers do not drink their own water;
Trees do not eat their own fruits.
The sun does not shine for itself; and Flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves.
Living for others is a rule of nature.
We were all born to help one another.
No matter how difficult the situation you find yourself in; still do good to others.

God bless you pharmaceutically.

God bless Nigeria.

Thank you