And Pharmacovigilance
1 - 3 July 2025
Lagos, Nigeria
Training on Evidence-Based Medicines Research
MEET OUR SPEAKERS
Dr Onyinye Akunne
Dr. Onyinye Akunne is a Nigerian pharmacologist and public health researcher dedicated to advancing rational medicine use and improving healthcare outcomes in Africa. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Qua Pillar Health Research Foundation (QPHRF), a non-governmental organisation committed to enhancing healthcare quality through research, training, and stakeholder engagement. Dr. Akunne earned her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in South Africa. Her research interests include pharmacokinetics, pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacovigilance, and cost-effectiveness studies, specifically in hypertension and infectious diseases.
She is actively involved in capacity-building initiatives. She facilitates workshops and training, including the WHO/Defined Daily Dose (DDD) methodology for the West African College of Pharmacists and quantitative data analysis workshops at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Her commitment to education and training extends to mentoring students and early-career researchers. As a fellow of the Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), Dr. Akunne is recognised for her contribution to science. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and has presented her research at international, regional, and national conferences. Her work has significantly contributed to the understanding of medicine use in Africa.
Dr Uchenna Elemuwa
Dr. Uchenna Elemuwa is the Director of Pharmacovigilance at Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). In her role, she oversees the implementation of the National Pharmacovigilance Policy, coordinating medicine safety activities in Nigeria. Dr. Elemuwa obtained a Ph.D. in Clinical Pharmacotherapy from the University of Benin. She earned her Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) from the University of Jos. She holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Pharmacy and Biopharmacy, and a Master’s in Industrial Labour and Relations. Under her leadership, NAFDAC’s Pharmacovigilance Directorate has strengthened national systems for monitoring adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and adverse events following immunization (AEFIs). Dr. Elemuwa also leads collaborations with international partners, including the Uppsala Monitoring Centre, a WHO Collaborating Centre for International Drug Monitoring. She has been instrumental in expanding pharmacovigilance outreach through zonal centers in tertiary hospitals across Nigeria and training healthcare providers on medicine safety practices.
Dr. Elemuwa was the Chairperson Expert Working Group (EWG) on Clinical Trial, Pharmacovigilance, and Medicine Safety for the ECOWAS Medicine Regulatory Harmonisation Programme from 2016 to 2022. She is the current Chairperson for the EWG on Pharmacovigilance and safety monitoring from 2023 to date, and the Lead for the African Union Smart Safety Surveillance (AU 3S) Project in Nigeria. She is a Member of the National Coordinating Committee of the National Expert Committee on Adverse Events following Immunization (AEFI) Causality Assessment in Nigeria. She also leads the Saving Lives and Livelihood Pharmacovigilance Project sponsored by Mastercard through the African Centre for Disease Control.
Dr. Halimat Adedeji-Adenola
Dr. Halimat Adedeji-Adenola,
PhD, FPCPharm, DSA.
Dr. Halimat Adedeji-Adenola is a Distinguished Service Awardee (DSA) and Author with over 15 years of experience in pharmaceutical practice, pharmacovigilance, and health systems strengthening. She earned her PhD from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where her research focused on developing tools for direct reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) by healthcare users—an innovation with implications for community-based medicine safety monitoring.
A Fellow of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists, Dr. Adedeji-Adenola has led the activation and scale-up of pharmacovigilance systems across primary healthcare centers in Lagos State, Nigeria. She train and mentor numerous health professionals and students in ADR reporting, rational medicine use, and antimicrobial stewardship.
Dr. Adedeji-Adenola is widely recognized for her commitment to advancing circular principles in medicine safety, environmental health, and patient-centered care through policy, practice, and research. She currently heads pharmaceutical services in Mushin LGA, Lagos State, where she continues to lead quality improvement and pharmacovigilance initiatives for medicines including vaccines at the grassroots level. She is the Co founder of Novate Drug Safety Foundation focusing on enhancing awareness and medicine safety.
Dr Abimbola Opadeyi
Dr. Abimbola Olowofela-Opadeyi is a distinguished Nigerian Clinical
Pharmacologist and Pharmacovigilance expert, currently serving as a
Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacology and
Therapeutics at the University of Benin. She also practices as a
Honorary Consultant Physician in the Clinical Pharmacology , Therapeutics and Toxicology Unit of the Internal Medicine Department at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). Benin City, Nigeria.
Dr. Opadeyi earned her Ph.D. in Pharmacovigilance and Pharmacoepidemiology from Université de Bordeaux, France. She holds fellowships from the West African College of Physicians (FWACP) in Internal Medicine and the National Postgraduate
Medical College of Nigeria (FMCP) in Clinical Pharmacology and
Therapeutics. Her research focuses on pharmacovigilance systems, adverse
drug reaction (ADR) reporting, drug utilisation, and patient safety. Dr.
Opadeyi has also contributed to evaluations of pharmacovigilance system performance using WHO indicators.
In addition to her academic and clinical roles, Dr. Opadeyi is actively
involved in capacity-building initiatives. She serves as a trainer and
consultant in pharmacovigilance, contributing to safer medication
practices in Nigeria and beyond.
Prof Joseph Fadare
Professor Joseph Olusesan Fadare is a distinguished academic and clinician in the field of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. He is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the College of Medicine, Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria and a Consultant Physician/Clinical Pharmacologist at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital. Prof. Fadare obtained his MD degree from Varna Medical University in Bulgaria. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine with a subspecialty in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, earning the Fellowship of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (FMCP) in 2006. He holds a joint Erasmus Mundus Master of Bioethics from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium), Radboud University Nijmegen (Netherlands), and the University of Padova (Italy). His research interests encompass pharmacoepidemiology, drug utilisation (including antimicrobials), antimicrobial stewardship, pharmacovigilance, geriatric pharmacology, drug interactions, therapeutic drug monitoring, clinical trials, and research ethics.
He has held various administrative positions at EKSU, such as Head of the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Sub-Dean, and Dean of the Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences. He has also served as an external examiner for professional examinations in Pharmacology at several Nigerian universities and has examined theses and dissertations at institutions in Nigeria and South Africa. Prof. Fadare has an extensive publication record, with over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He serves as a reviewer for numerous esteemed journals and holds editorial positions, including Associate Editor for Frontiers in Pharmacology (Section: Drugs Outcomes Research and Policies) and Editor for the "Nigerian Stethoscope," a journal associated with EKSU and the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria.
Dr. Chukwumezie Okolo
Dr. Chukwumezie Okechukwu Okolo is a pharmacist, clinical scientist, leadership strategist, and public health epidemiologist with over two decades of experience spanning Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He is the President and CEO of Rite Place Health, a consortium dedicated to healthcare innovation, research, and leadership development. Dr. Okolo has a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the University of Nigeria, an MSc in Epidemiology from the University of Ibadan, an MBA in International Health (Health Planning and Management) from Keele University in the UK, and a PhD in Leadership Studies from Johnson University in the United States. He is a Fellow of the African Institute for Public Health. Dr. Okolo has researched healthcare disparities in Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Chad, the UK, and the US. He advocates for the elimination of water-borne diseases and neglected tropical diseases in Africa, emphasising that "healthcare for the poor should not be poor healthcare." During the COVID-19 pandemic, he played a pivotal role as a certified vaccinator and logistics coordinator, ensuring the integrity of vaccine distribution across the Dallas district.
Dr. Okolo's contributions extend to academia and public discourse. He has authored several publications, including a USA Best Book Finalist Award Winner, and has been a peer reviewer for the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. His insights on leadership and public health have been featured on various platforms.
Mr Chigbo Godswill
Chisom C. God'swill is a well-trained data scientist and research professional with strong foundations in Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Data Science and Clinical Trials. He has deep interests in Cancer Epidemiology, Artificial Intelligence in Clinical research, Machine Learning and Disease modelling. He is currently a PhD research candidate and has distinguished himself as an academic with a track record of over 40+ published articles in reputable journals indexed on Google Scholar and PubMed.
Currently, he serves as a Doctoral Fellow, Network for Oncology Research in Sub-Saharan Africa (NORA), domiciled within the International Research Centre of Excellence, Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria, where he leads several projects on breast and cervical cancer.
Chisom's technical expertise spans a wide array of tools and platforms, including Excel, SQL, SPSS, STATA, GraphPad Prism, PowerBI, R, including Nvivo, and Dedoose for qualitative data analysis. He also has extensive experience managing databases such as ODK, KoboCollect, SurveyCTO, RedCap, Epilnfo, and OpenMRS, ensuring seamless data collection and management in several funded projects.
With a passion for training and capacity building, Chisom specialises in equipping professionals with data analysis skills and research tailored to solving real-world challenges. He has trained over 800+ professionals, including American Spaces Nigeria, CEDTalk Nigeria, and several academic institutions.
Prof Ibrahim Oreagba
Professor Ibrahim Oreagba is a clinical pharmacologist and toxicologist. He servesd as the immediate past Head of the Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics, and Toxicology at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL), Idi-Araba. Prof. Oreagba holds a Master's and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology. He obtained a Postgraduate Certificate in Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacovigilance from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He is a Fellow of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists and has served in various capacities within the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria. His research interests encompass pharmacovigilance, pharmacoepidemiology, rational drug use, herbal medicine safety, and addiction prevention. Notably, he has contributed to studies assessing the impact of training on healthcare professionals' knowledge and practice of pharmacovigilance in Nigeria. Prof. Oreagba has also co-authored research on the pharmacovigilance system's impact on the Nigerian healthcare system, highlighting the importance of monitoring adverse drug reactions and improving patient safety.
Beyond academia, Prof. Oreagba is a core technical member and consultant to Nigeria's National Drug Safety Advisory Committee under the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). He was also a member of the expert committee that developed Nigeria's National Pharmacovigilance Policy. He serves as the Amir (President) of the Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAN), reflecting his leadership and commitment to integrating faith-based perspectives into healthcare.
Pharm Ibrahim Amidu
Pharm. Ibrahim Mohammed Amidu is a distinguished pharmacist and global pharmacovigilance expert recognised for his impactful contributions to medicine safety and regulatory practices in Nigeria and beyond. He holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm), a Master’s in Health Economics (MHE), and a Master of Science in Pharmacovigilance. He is also a Fellow of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (FPCPharm). Pharm. Amidu has earned the Global Pharmacovigilance Professional Certification and completed over 20 advanced professional development trainings and courses from renowned institutions including the World Health Organization (WHO), Uppsala Monitoring Centre (UMC), and the University of Washington. His expertise spans across pharmacovigilance systems strengthening, regulatory capacity building, and healthcare quality improvement.
Over the years, he has led nationwide initiatives to enhance pharmacovigilance practice in Nigeria, including capacity-building programs for healthcare professionals, facilitation of national pharmacovigilance inspection exercises, and contributions to the refinement and implementation of NAFDAC's Good Vigilance Practice (GVP) guidelines. As a trusted resource person to NAFDAC, he continues to support national regulatory activities and the integration of pharmacovigilance into health systems. Pharm. Amidu’s unwavering commitment to patient safety, healthcare excellence, and regulatory advancement is evident in his active participation in both national and international platforms. His work has been instrumental in fostering a culture of safety, vigilance, and continuous improvement in medicine use, ultimately contributing to better healthcare outcomes.
Kimberly C. McKeirnan
Kimberly C. McKeirnan, PharmD, BCACP, is a Professor of Pharmacotherapy in the College of Pharmacy
and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Washington State University. She is also a PhD student at Nelson
Mandela University in South Africa. Dr. McKeirnan is board-certified in ambulatory care pharmacy and
has received several grants to conduct pharmacy practice and vaccination research. She is passionate
about research involving pharmacy education, pharmacy practice, vaccination services, and public
health.
Dr Sunday Ikpe
​Dr. Sunday Ikpe is a data scientist and epidemiologist with nearly two decades of experience leveraging data to improve healthcare outcomes. He is a Senior Research Analyst at Premier Inc. USA, focusing on healthcare analytics and epidemiological research. Dr Ikpe received a Ph.D. in Epidemiology and Human Genetics from the University of Maryland, Baltimore and an MBBCh from the University of Calabar. His research interests include epidemiologic studies, computational epidemiology, and health data analysis. ​He has contributed to several publications in the field, including studies on HIV treatment interruptions and the performance of HIV rapid testing algorithms in Nigeria.
Dr Sakinat Folorunsho
Dr. Sakinat Folorunso is a senior computer science faculty member at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Nigeria, and a leading voice in AI and data science in Africa. With over 17 years of experience, she specializes in federated learning, explainable AI, and FAIR data, with impactful work in healthcare and cultural preservation. A contributor to VODAN Africa and founder of The Route to AI Learning (TRAIL), she is also the national organizer of IndabaX Nigeria. Dr. Folorunso is passionate about empowering women in STEM and continues to lead inclusive innovation and mentorship across the continent.
Prof Olufunsho Awodele
Olufunsho Awodele is a Professor and Consultant Toxicologist/Pharmacoepidemiologist.in the Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, University of Lagos. Currently, the coordinator of Health Safety and Environmental program in MEDILAG, College of Medicine, University of Lagos. He won Prof. AFB Mabadeje’s prize as the best M.Sc Pharmacology graduating student in 2004; best University of Lagos PhD thesis award in 2009, best National Universities Commission (NUC) Doctoral Thesis Award in Pharmacy (2009) and best University of Lagos researcher of the year (2010). He recently served as a Toxicologist with International Maritime Organization London on Evaluation of Hazards of Harmful Substances carried by Ship. Olufunsho Awodele has published about 120 research papers in peer reviewed journals and attended several academic conferences in South Africa, India, United States, United Kingdom and Canada. He has supervised seven (7) Ph.D. candidates and currently mentoring 5 Ph.D. scholars in different aspects of toxicology and pharmacoepidemiology/pharmacovigilance. He is a member of National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) committee on verification of safety and efficacy of herbal medicines in Nigeria. He was the Consultant that reviewed and updated the National Pharmacovigilance Policy and Implementation Framework (2019/2020). Professor Awodele won the prestigious 2019 Society of Toxicology Global Senior Scholar Award (Baltimore, Maryland). He was the immediate past Chairman of the Faculty of Public Health Pharmacy, West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP) and currently the Secretary General, WAPCP. Olufunsho is always open to collaboration that will advance knowledge and lead to breakthrough in science.