pharmacy

Festus Adio Ogunbona, a retired professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, who served the institution meritoriously at different capacities for good twenty-six years, has been appointed Emeritus Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, OAU, Ile-Ife.

Ogunbona, who made the disclosure of his new appointment to Pharmanewsonline, expressed his profound gratitude to the university authority, for the recognition of his long years of dedication and hard work to the institution.

Born on 30 October 1944, in Ibogun Odejimi, Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State, he bagged his B.Pharm from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife, Nigeria, 1969. He also attended Chelsea College, University of London for his Ph.D in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from 1970 to 1973.

His professional experience spanned across various positions in the education sector. He rose through the ranks from the position of a Vice-Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy (1979-81), to Acting Head, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (1982-84 and 1986-88); then Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy (1992-94), thereafter, he became the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), O.A.U., Ile-Ife (1994-98).

The newly appointed Emeritus Professor, whose assignments were not restricted to that of the OAU alone, also enjoyed other federal government appointments, which include: Chairman, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), 2003-2007; Chairman, Standing Committee on Private Universities (SCOPU); Member, NAFDAC Governing Council; Chairman, Technical & Assets Committee, NAFDAC; Member, Presidential Committee on the Pharmaceutical Sector 2004, among others.

One of his major achievements as the PCN chairman was his advocacy tours of the entire country, meeting with the executive governors, commissioners of health of all the states in the federation.  He also had interactive sessions with other stakeholders in the healthcare delivery system, with the singular objective of ensuring that Nigerians can easily access safe, effective and quality drugs from registered premises in the country.

Ogunbona was also privileged to serve as  a Visiting Professor, National Universities Commission, Abuja; Chairman, Team on General Administration (Council & Senate) of the Special Presidential Visitation Panel to the University of Abuja, July-September, 2012; and Honorary Professor, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

His membership of professional associations include: Fellow, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (FPSN); Fellow, West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists; and Member, Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN). He has supervised a total of three Ph.D.s Theses, and Fifteen (15) M.Sc./M.Phil Theses.

Although there appears to be dearth of data of pharmacists who have attained this height in the past, but we are sure of Ajibola A.Olaniyi, the first Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry in Nigeria, who was appointed Emeritus Professor, University of Ibadan in 2011. There is also Emeritus Professor Paul Iwe Akubue, a former Vice-Chancellor of Madonna University, Nigeria. He was conferred with the honour by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.