Stella Chinyelu Okoli is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, the largest indigenous pharmaceutical manufacturing company in Nigeria. As a pharmacist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Stella has grown a small retail chemist into a leading African healthcare brand, advancing local drug production, improving access to essential medicines, and inspiring generations of African businesswomen. Her leadership demonstrates how enterprise can drive both industry innovation and societal impact.
Stella’s journey began in Kano State, Nigeria, before she pursued higher education in the United Kingdom. She earned a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the University of Bradford and a Master’s in Biopharmaceutics from the University of London Chelsea College in 1971. She further enhanced her executive expertise through programs at Harvard Business School, Lagos Business School, and I.E.S.E Business School in Spain. After gaining professional experience at Middlesex Hospital in London, Boots the Chemist, and Pharma-Deko in Nigeria, Stella returned home determined to establish world-class pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity.
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In 1977, Stella founded Emzor Pharmaceutical as a retail pharmacy in Lagos and incorporated it as a manufacturing company in 1984. Under her stewardship, Emzor has expanded its portfolio to over 140 high-quality medicines and medical consumables, with distribution across Nigeria and several African markets. Her approach combines affordability, quality, and local value creation, establishing Emzor as a symbol of self-sufficiency in essential drug production.
Stella’s contributions have earned her numerous national and international awards. She was recognised as a Woman of Distinction and Lifetime Achiever at the ThisDay Annual Awards in 2012, received the International Entrepreneurial Challenge Award, the CePATHonors Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014, the Ernst and Young Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016, and the Institute of Directors Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. She has also been honoured with the ECOWAS International Gold Award, Nigeria Royalty Awards in 2013, Business Person of the Year at the Sun Newspaper Awards in 2016, Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum Award in 2017, and Silverbird Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. In recognition of her service to Nigeria, she holds the Member of the Order of the Niger and Officer of the Order of the Niger, alongside an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration from Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. Beyond accolades, she champions industry leadership and supports entrepreneurial education through the Chike Okoli Foundation.
Looking ahead, Stella Chinyelu Okoli continues to expand Emzor’s impact while advancing healthcare security and economic development. She is leading the rollout of a state-of-the-art Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient facility that will strengthen local drug production and reduce import dependence. Through her vision and leadership, Stella is shaping a future where quality healthcare is accessible, local manufacturing thrives, and enterprise serves as a catalyst for national and continental progress.
