Emzor Founder, Okoli Urges Investment In Young People, Govt Support To Local Pharma Manufacturers

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, Dr. Stella Okoli, OON, has charged stakeholders in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry to build sustainable businesses by investing in people, especially by deliberately inspiring young pharmacists to embrace local manufacturing.

She also called for increased government attention to local manufacturing, emphasising that not only would it catalyse growth for local companies but ultimately the national economy through skill development, talent retention, job creation, and foreign exchange conservation.

Dr. Okoli spoke on Day 2 of the 8th Nigeria Pharma Manufacturers’ Expo (NPME 2026) during the CEO panel 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.

Themed “Regional Manufacturing: Advancing Africa’s Pharma & Life-Science Sovereignty through Localisation,” the event convened industry leaders, policymakers, regulators and investors to chart a path for pharmaceutical self-reliance.

Sharing her journey into manufacturing, which she described as “God’s doing,” the Emzor Founder said the company’s family culture and emphasis on hard work and mentorship had enabled low entry-level staff to rise to managerial positions, urging young people coming into the industry or those already in business to imbibe the culture of doing things right at all times.

“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. 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. “she said.

On succession and sustainability, Dr. Okoli announced her transition from Group Managing Director, noting that Pharm. Uzoma Ezeoke, Executive Director, General Duties, HR & Finance, has taken over the day-to-day leadership as Managing Director, while she remains Founder and Chief Executive Officer.

She said inspiring the next generation remains central to her work, citing Emzor’s open-door policy for pharmacy students on industrial visits.

“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.

Dr. Okoli disclosed that Emzor, known for finished pharmaceutical products, is set to commence the production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), making it the first company in sub-Saharan Africa to do so, adding that expansion into other sectors is ongoing.

She called for more encouragement and support for the manufacturing sector, including periodic direct engagement with manufacturers across different sectors of the economy. “The government must encourage manufacturers,” she said.

Despite current challenges, Dr. Okoli expressed optimism about Nigeria’s industrial future. “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.