Invest in young pharmacists, support local drug makers – Okoli urges FG

…As Emzor moves into API production
By Chioma Obinna

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, Dr Stella Okoli, has urged the Federal Government to increase support for local pharmaceutical manufacturers and invest in young pharmacists to strengthen Nigeria’s manufacturing capacity and reduce dependence on imported medicines.

Okoli said sustained investment in local pharmaceutical production would stimulate economic growth through job creation, skills development, talent retention and foreign exchange conservation, while inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses.

She spoke on Day Two of the 8th Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers’ Expo (NPME 2026) during a chief executive officers’ panel session on “Inspiring the Next Generation of CEOs and Founders in Pharma Manufacturing in Nigeria.”

The expo, held in Lagos, was organised by the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN), in partnership with GPE Expo. It was themed, “Regional Manufacturing: Advancing Africa’s Pharma & Life-Science Sovereignty through Localisation.”

Sharing her journey into pharmaceutical manufacturing, which she described as “God’s doing,” Okoli stressed the importance of hard work, mentorship and building a workplace culture that enables employees to grow into leadership positions.

She urged young pharmacists and aspiring entrepreneurs to uphold integrity and excellence, noting that sustainable businesses must deliberately invest in people and create opportunities for professional growth.

“As young people or people who are already in business, it is very important that you do the right things at all times because at Emzor Pharmaceutical, we call ourselves family because everybody is enjoying the goodness of the Lord,” she said.

“We encourage everybody to work hard because some of our lowest entry-level staff are now managers because we taught them, and we insisted that you must go and do it. And once you give them encouragement, they grow.”

The Emzor founder said nurturing young professionals was essential to building a sustainable pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, urging established companies to expose students and young pharmacists to the opportunities available in local drug production.

She cited Emzor’s open-door policy for pharmacy students undertaking industrial visits, saying the experience had helped generate interest in the sector.

“They come and visit, they learn, and they don’t want to go back to the university. I want us to encourage all those young people so that they will join the industry,” she said.

On leadership succession and business continuity, Okoli disclosed that she had stepped down as Group Managing Director, with Pharm. Uzoma Ezeoke, Executive Director, General Duties, HR and Finance, taking over the day-to-day leadership of the company as Managing Director.

She remains the company’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer, with the transition underscoring the importance of preparing the next generation of leaders to sustain business growth.

In a significant development for local pharmaceutical production, Okoli also disclosed that Emzor was preparing to commence the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), the essential components used in manufacturing medicines.

She said the company, known for its finished pharmaceutical products, was expanding into API production, while its diversification into other sectors was also ongoing.

The planned expansion comes amid growing calls for African countries to strengthen domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing and reduce dependence on imported medicines and essential production inputs.

Okoli urged the government to give greater attention to manufacturers, stressing that stronger support for local industries would benefit businesses and the wider economy.

“The government must encourage manufacturers,” she said, calling for periodic direct engagement between government officials and manufacturers across different sectors of the economy.

She said regular consultations would help the government better understand the challenges confronting manufacturers and identify ways to support their growth and expansion.

Despite the difficulties facing businesses, Okoli expressed optimism about Nigeria’s industrial future, urging stakeholders to remain committed to developing local capacity.

“No matter the difficulty, no matter what the issues are, we are going places as a country and God will lead us there,” she said.