CITIZENS COMPASS— In the latest episode of Marketplace Africa, CNN speaks to Stella Okoli, the CEO of Emzor Pharmaceuticals about the importance of diversifying into different medical production and the benefits of a localised supply chain.
Okoli explains how she keeps her company growing and the process involved in pharmaceutical progression, “When we finish making the paracetamol, we go to anti-malarials. We make the anti-malarials, we go to antibiotics. We make the antibiotics, and we go to different, different, different tablet, liquid, capsules. During COVID, it was very clear that we must start manufacturing API Active pharmaceutical ingredients.”
Since her company has been manufacturing for 40 years, Okoli tells CNN the importance of maintaining customers and reputation, “It must be high quality so that anywhere in the world it goes, people will appreciate it. So we keep moving, moving, moving, buying equipment, buying raw materials, doing transfer technology if necessary, and encouraging our people.”
Okoli discusses how Emzor’s development can help Nigeria, and the continent more widely, “The API factory is the first in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa. So that’s a lot of encouragement for Nigerians. We will be able to sell some of the APIs to other manufacturers, both in Nigeria and in Africa. We will have our raw materials, and the raw materials will be available, we are sure of the quality because we know the source.”
Okoli ends with a look into the future of her company, predicting, “I see Emzor pharmaceutical industries as world class, with many locations in a lot of states. To start manufacturing in Nigeria and selling abroad (…). In 5 years’ time Emzor pharmaceutical industries should be making over 6000 different products.”
These interviews were featured on the latest episode of Marketplace Africa on CNN International.
