Dr. Stella Chinyelu Okoli, founder of Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, is poised to launch a N35 billion Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) manufacturing facility in Sagamu, Ogun State, marking a transformative leap for Nigeria’s quest for drug production self-reliance. The state-of-the-art plant, designed to locally produce critical raw materials for medicines, aims to slash the nation’s reliance on imported pharmaceutical components while boosting health security, industrial capacity, and job creation.
At 81, Okoli, a scion of Nnewi, Anambra State—renowned as Nigeria’s industrial nerve—continues to defy age and convention. Her four-decade journey has seen Emzor evolve from a modest Lagos pharmacy into a continental powerhouse. The Sagamu project, hailed as a “testament to homegrown solutions,” reflects her resolve to tackle systemic challenges through innovation.
Anambra Governor Charles Soludo lauded Okoli’s achievement, urging her to reinvest in her home state. “She epitomizes Nnewi’s entrepreneurial spirit,” Soludo stated, referencing the Anambra Mixed-Use Industrial City (AMIC), a 9,000-hectare hub offering infrastructure like roads, gas pipelines, and power to attract industries. “AMIC can accommodate 20 times the Sagamu project. We invite her to extend this legacy here,” he added, through Information Commissioner Paul Nwosu.
A relative of Okoli, speaking anonymously in Nnewi, countered claims that Emzor neglects Anambra, revealing her involvement in the state’s Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Park in Ogboji. “Emzor’s headquarters may be in Lagos, but her roots here remain strong,” the source affirmed, dismissing rumors of disengagement.
