Dora Nkem Akunyili
Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria
Prof. Dora Nkem Akunyili (OFR), the Director General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), is an internationally renowned pharmacist and pharmacologist; she is known for her academic, administrative and leadership skills.
Prof. Akunyili holds a first degree and doctorate degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She was a Post Doctorate Fellow of the University of London and is a Fellow of the West African Post Graduate College of Pharmacists and a member of many learned societies.
She has since 1994 worked in various capacities for the Nigerian government. Prof. Akunyili was appointed the Chairman of West African Drug Regulatory Authorities Network (WADRAN) in March 2006 and Vice Chairman of the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force (IMPACT) in November 2006.
Prof. Akunyili has received many awards locally and internationally, prominent among which are:
Integrity Award by Transparency International in South Korea (2003); Honoured as one of the 18 heroes (Health) of Time Magazine Worldwide by Time Magazine, New York (2005); Grassroots Human Rights Campaigner Award by Human Rights Defence Organization (International Service) in British House of Commons (2005); Special Award for Combating Economic Crime by International Chamber of Commerce-Commercial Crime Services London (2004); Pharmacist of the year Medal Award by International Pharmaceutical Federation, FIP (2005); Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws by University of Bristol, London (2006); Honorary Georgia Citizen by The State of Georgia, USA (2006); Agribusiness, International Euro Market and Transbusiness Awards respectively for 2003, 2005 and 2006 by European Marketing Research Centre (EMRC),Brussels; Conferment with the National Order of the Federal Republic-OFR and Recognition as an Icon of Hope for Nigerians by President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (2002); Person of the Year 2005 Award by Silverbird Communications Ltd, Nigeria (2006).
