Prof. Dora Nkem Akunyili (OFR)
Prof. Dora Nkem Akunyili was a renowned pharmacist, an exceptional scholar, a seasoned administrator, and a global visionary leader.
She worked as a senior lecturer and consultant pharmacologist in the University of Nigeria Nsukka’s College of Medicine until she was appointed NAFDAC director-general.
In 1996, Prof. Akunyili was appointed Zonal Secretary of the Petroleum Special Trust Fund (P.T.F). She coordinated projects funded by profits from oil in Nigeria’s southeastern states for 4 years.
She is a national hero whose impact in shaping our nation would not be forgotten anytime soon.
The Prof. Dora Akunyili, you probably did not know.
1. A distinguished fellow
Prof. Dora is one of the brightest stars Nigeria ever produced. She is a recipient of over 820 awards during her lifetime. She got the highest number of awards ever won by any Nigerian, dead or alive.
Historyville reported that her husband found over 100 awards in her boxes two years after her demise.
2. A model citizen
In 1998, while working with the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) under Major General Muhammadu Buhari, Prof. Dora fell sick and was told she would require surgery in the United States of America.
The PTF provided a total of $17,000 needed for her medical expenses. $5000 for tests and $12,000 for the surgery.
However, in the United States, where she was scheduled for surgery, the doctors erroneously discovered that she would not need surgery after all. (It was found years later that the second test result was wrong and that she genuinely had cancer).
As a result, Prof. Akunyili returned the $12,000 meant for her surgery to the PTF.
Major General Muhammadu Buhari heard that she returned the excess money when she would have easily diverted it for her personal use.
He wrote a commendation letter to Prof. Dora for her integrity and honesty.
3. A born leader
When Former President Olusegun Obasanjo wanted to appoint a director-general for National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Dora’s name naturally popped up. As she already earned her reputation as a trustworthy and straightforward Nigerian.
Prof. Dora Akunyili was appointed the NAFDAC chairman on the platform of integrity — No political godfather, No campaigns.
4. A broken warrior
Professor Dora Akunyili was particularly motivated to combat the counterfeit drug problems Nigeria was facing at that time. In 1998, she witnessed her younger sister (then 21 yrs) die after receiving fake insulin injections as part of her regular diabetic treatment.
During her administration as the director of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC) in 2001, the percentage of fake drugs sold in Nigeria dropped drastically from 70% to around 10%.
5. A survivor
She survived an assassination attempt on December 26, 2003.
Gunmen opened fire on Prof. Dora Akunyili’s convoy on her way back to Enugu from her hometown in Anambra State, Nigeria. One of the bullets pierced through the rear windscreen of her car, pierced through her headscarf, nearly hitting her head.
6. A public servant to the core
In 2008, Prof. Dora Akunyili was appointed as the Minister of Information, and she served in that capacity until 2010.
7. A patriot at heart
On March 17, 2009. Prof. Dora Akunyili, alongside the then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, launched a national campaign to unveil the slogan — “GOOD PEOPLE, GREAT NATION.”
8. A model wife and mother
She was happily married to Dr. Chike Akunyili. They had six (6) children and many grandchildren.
9. A Proud mum
Prof. Dora birthed geniuses. One of her Children, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, is a visual artist working in Los Angeles, California. Crosby was awarded the prestigious Genius Grant from MacArthur Fellowship in 2017. She has also received several international awards and grants.
In 2019, her last child, Obumneme Akunyili was appointed as the Director-General of Anambra State Project Monitoring and Management Office by Governor Willie Obiano. He got this appointment as a result of his commitment, excellent performance, and outstanding leadership qualities during his one-year service as a Senior Special Assistant of the same office.
10. An agent of change
Her transformational roles in NAFDAC are well documented in her book;
“The War Against Counterfeit Medicine — My Story”
A hero lives on
Sadly, Nigeria lost one of her brightest stars to the cold hands of death after a two-year battle with cancer.
Prof. Dora Akunyili died at exactly 10:00 am Nigerian time on June 7, 2014, in a Specialist Cancer Hospital in India.
Today, I celebrate a Quintessential role model, a Genius, a Dogged fighter against counterfeit drugs, and a Pharmacist per excellence.
Happy Posthumous Birthday, Prof. Dora Nkem Akunyili (OFR).
On angelic wings, Rest on!
REFERENCES
- International Centre for Investigative Reporting: Remembering Dora Akunyili, anti-fake drugs crusader whose headgear saved from assassins’ bullets. (https://www.icirnigeria.org/remembering-dora-akunyili-anti-fake-drugs-crusader-whose-headgear-saved-from-assassins-bullets/)
- HistoryVille: Dora Akunyili, the woman with many awards. (https://www.thehistoryville.com/dorothy-dora-akunyili)
- The CONVERSATION: Dora Akunyili — the Nigerian public servant who took on the fake drugs trade. (https://theconversation.com/dora-akunyili-the-nigerian-public-servant-who-took-on-the-fake-drugs-trade-28945.)
- The Lancet: Dora Akunyili: the scourge of Nigerian drug counterfeiters. (https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(06)68634-0/fulltext)
- Wikipedia: Dora Akunyili (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dora_Akunyili)
