Dr. Stella Chinyelu Okoli has stepped down as managing director of Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, handing the role to Uzoma Ezeoke, a pharmacist who previously served as the company’s executive director for general duties, human resources and finance.
Okoli remains founder and chief executive officer of the company, which she started as a chemist shop in 1977.
The change was disclosed at the 8th Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers’ Expo in Lagos, where Okoli also urged the federal government to do more to support local manufacturers.
The handover comes as Emzor prepares to begin production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Okoli said this would make it the first company in sub-Saharan Africa to do so.
Nearly all the ingredients used by Nigerian drugmakers are imported, mainly from India and China.
Emzor’s plant in Sagamu, Ogun State, has been delayed several times, with the target moving from 2024 to late 2025 and then to early 2026. No new commissioning date has been announced.
The project has cost about $23 million, partly funded by a €13.85 million loan from the European Investment Bank.
In August, Emzor raised ₦26.7 billion (about $20 million) through a five-year bond paying 19 per cent annually, partly to complete the plant.
The company makes more than 140 products. Okoli also funds health and youth development programmes through the Chike Okoli Foundation, named after her late son.
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