Rest in Peace our Amazon.

Professor  Dora Nkem Akunyili (OFR)

On the 14^th of July in 1954, in a calm village in Makurdi, Benue State in Nigeria a baby girl was born to a Chief and Mrs. Edemobi. If anyone had told the doctors or midwives or people present that day that they had just witnessed the birth of one of the

greatest Nigerian women, I doubt they would have given much thought to it.

  Professor Dora Nkem Akunyili (OFR), was a devout Catholic, was happily married to Dr. J.C. Akunyili and blessed with Six (6) children and three (3) grand-children. Her hobbies included reading, writing, cooking, and traveling.

From 1966 to 1986, she pursued her education career that led to awesome her credentials and achievements. She got her Bachelors in Pharmacology (Honors) in 1978 and PhD in 1985, both at the University Of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN). Prof. Akunyili won the best student award in the school of Pharmacy in her very first year in the school and the Vice Chancellor’s Postgraduate and Research Leadership prize in Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences for 1984/85 and 1985/86 academic Sessions.

She was promoted to the rank of Professor of Pharmacology in October, 2000 by the same University.

You might think this is awesome but it is more awesome to know that 5 out of her 6 children also made 1^st class degree at Universities in the United States of America.

  Her working career is one that cannot be fully exhausted in this post, starting out as “humble” Hospital Pharmacist in 1978, it took her about 23 years before she was appointed as the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria from April 2001-2008. Here she recorded outstanding success. Prior to her appointment, food and drug regulation in Nigeria was chaotic as a matter of fact before her appointment statistics showed that there were about 60% of fake drugs in circulation in the country and by the end of her tenure that number came down to 16.7%. Excellent! As a commentator in a national newspaper once wrote, “The NAFDAC Director General is a revolutionary. She has not only changed NAFDAC, she has also changed the pharmaceutical industry in the country.”

 From December 2008 – December 2010, she worked as the Honorable Minister of Information and Communications, Federal Republic of Nigeria

For her industry and commitment to the values of honesty, transparency and selfless service, Prof. Akunyili has received over six hundred Awards and Recognitions locally and internationally, notably among which are: –

Conferment with the National Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) and Recognition as an Icon of Hope for Nigerians by President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo(2002); Person of the Year 2005 Award by Silverbird Communications (2006); Nigeria’s Five Greatest Living Legends Award by Silverbird Group and Vanguard Media (Dec. 2009);

  Seeing all this one can understand why the 7^th of June 2014 has to be tagged as a “sad Saturday”  as the former governor of Anambra, Mr Peter Obi, on Saturday confirmed the death of the former minister, on behalf of the Akunyili family, after a two-year battle with cancer. In spite her illness, she was unwavering in her belief in a better Nigeria, as Peter Obi stated that the last time he visited her in India, even when she needed all the prayers herself, she was full of  concern for  Chibok girls, security and other challenges facing the country and told him that she remained prayerful for the release  of those girls and for God to help  President Goodluck Jonathan to overcome all the  challenges facing the Nation.

even till death,she worked for her Country.

  We beg all Nigerians, to say a prayer for her soul, lift up our candles to the Heavens as we all with one voice and vision fight so that her legacy and hope for this for this country does not die as she died. God bless her, god bless you and God Bless Nigeria.