Stella Chinyelu Okoli
Stella Chinyelu Okoli is a pharmacist, philanthropist and entrepreneur. She is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, a leading indigenous pharmaceutical company established in 1977 for manufacturing high-quality pharmaceutical products and medical consumables.
Stella Okoli initially started Emzor Pharmaceuticals as a small pharmacy retail shop located in Somolu, Lagos State. The company which started operations as Emzor Chemists Limited has since grown into one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria with over 50 products since its incorporation in 1984. Some of its products include Emzor Paracetamol, vitamins, anti-malaria, antibiotics, antacids, analgesics, and anti-histamine, to name a few. Today, Emzor is a household name and a leader in the pharmaceutical market in Nigeria.
Before establishing Emzor Pharmaceuticals, Stella Okoli worked in several pharmaceutical firms. She started as a Ward/Clinical Pharmacist at Middlesex Hospital in London and later worked briefly as a Pharmacist at Boots Uk, formerly known as Boots the Chemist Limited. She returned to Nigeria and worked for a while at Massey Children Hospital, Lagos before joining a pharmaceutical manufacturing company, Park Davies Nigeria Limited (now Pharma-Deko Plc). At Pharma-Deko Plc, Stella worked as a Medical Representative and later as a Sales Manager.
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Stella completed a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from the University of Bradford, and a master’s degree in Biopharmaceutical from the University of London, Chelsea College. She is an alumna of the Lagos Business School, Harvard Business School, Boston and I.E.S.E Business School in Barcelona, Spain.
Stella is also a philanthropist who founded the Chike Okoli Foundation in 2006 as a non-profit organisation. Chike Okoli Foundation aims to fight against poverty and diseases by raising awareness. Since its establishment, the foundation has trained thousands of business owners and entrepreneurs. In 2011, COF built Chike Okoli Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. This centre provides entrepreneurial research, training and education for youths. The foundation also provides free healthcare services and lecture people around the world on the effect of heart disease and stroke. It has impacted millions of Nigerians by helping them build a healthy lifestyle.
Stella has served in several capacities including as a member of the Economic Summit of Nigeria, Health Matters Advisory Board of Nigeria, Vice President of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group, and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria.
Stella is the recipient of several awards including the International Entrepreneurial Challenge (IWEC) Award, CePATHonors Lifetime Achievement Award 2014, ECOWAS International Gold Award, Ernst and Young Lifetime Achievement Award 2016, and the Institute of Directors Lifetime Achievement Award 2016.
In recognition of her achievements and contributions to the health sector in Nigeria, she received the Member of the Order of the Niger award.
We are delighted to have Stella Okoli as our WCW feature this week. Connect with her on LinkedIn