Professor Theophine Chinwuba Akunne (formerly Okoye) is the current dean of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam, Anambra State. He is a Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, with bias in Natural Products Pharmacology.
Akunne is a native of Adazi Nnukwu in Anaocha LGA of Anambra State. He attended Bubendorff Memorial Grammar School, Adazi Nnukwu, Anambra State, and belongs to the 1988 Class. He later proceeded to the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), to study Pharmacy, and graduated in 1996. He did his one-year internship training at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, while his NYSC programme was done at St. Gerards Catholic Hospital, Kakuri, Kaduna.
Akunne worked with a few pharmacy establishments, such as De-Santos Pharmaceutical Company Ltd, Obosi, Anambra State. He also worked with Al-Tinez Pharma Ltd and Ranbaxy Nig. Ltd, both in Lagos, before joining the services OF UNN as Lecturer II in 2005.
In the course of his career at UNN, Prof. Akunne rose from Lecturer II to the rank of a Professor in 2017, and within the period, he obtained masters (MPharm) and doctoral (PhD) degrees in Pharmacology and Toxicology, from the same university.
He was privileged to undergo post-doctoral studies at Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guilin, China. Also, He is also an International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO) alumnus, having attended IBRO school at the University of KWA-Zulu Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Prof. Akunne has held several positions and belongs to many professional and university committees. He was a former Head, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UNN. Akunne was a member of the National Expert Committee on Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI), under the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Ministry of Health, Nigeria, from 2012-2018. He is also a one-time national secretary, Nigerian Association of Pharmacists in Academia (NAPA).
Under his leadership as dean, the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences (COOU) was accredited as the 23rd pharmacy school in Nigeria, by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), in 2021. He and his team displayed a high level of doggedness and commitment, and obtained full accreditations for the young faculty, from both NUC and PCN in 2023. These achievements paved the way for the maiden and second induction/oath-taking ceremonies of pharmacy graduates from the faculty the following year.
Recently, a final year student of the faculty, Miss Vivian Chizoba Ihediuche, came second runner up at the 2024 Shalina Young Talent Award (SYTA) Season 5 grand finale competition, organised by Shalina Healthcare Nigeria Ltd. Lagos, for 24 pharmacy schools in Nigeria. This feat is an indicator of the level of academic excellence in the Faculty of Pharmacy, COOU, a sign of enthronement of academic standards by Akunne and his team.
In addition, Shalina Healthcare, at the grand finale held at NECA House, Lagos, acknowledged and adjudged Faculty of Pharmacy, COOU, the best-organised, in zonal (faculty) level of the SYTA Season 5 competition, from which the candidate to represent at the national level was selected.
Prof. Akunne has over 75 academic research publications to his credit in both national and international peer-reviewed impact-factor journals. He has supervised several undergraduate projects and many postgraduate theses.
Akunne is a member of many professional and academic bodies, including Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Nigeria Association of Pharmacists in Academia (NAPA), Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research, Germany (GA), Western Africa Network for Natural Products Research Scientists (WANNPRES), West African Society for Pharmacology (WASP/SOAP), International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO), among others.
Prof. Akunne enjoys reading spiritual books, travelling, listening to Christian music, and watching football. His philosophy/maxim in the academic world is that “Research has no particular lock and key in anybody’s mind.” Akunne believes that in life, one has to be guided by the famous quote of St. Josemaria Escriva that “heaven and earth seem to meet in the horizon, but where they really meet is in our hearts, when we sanctify our everyday activities”.
Akunne is happily married to Pharm. (Dr) Maureen Akunne, and the marriage is blessed with children.
 is the current dean of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu){kind=link}