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The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) Alumni Association of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences is set to celebrate the faculty’s 50 years anniversary with a four-day programme billed to take place between March 31 and April 3, 2022.
This is even as the faculty has urged the government to pay adequate attention to drug manufacturing to ensure a strong health sector in the country.
Speaking with newsmen at the weekend on the golden jubilee celebration, which had been scheduled to hold in 2020 but was deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the President of the Alumni Association, Sir Ike Onyechi, said it will comprise a welcome cocktail, an anniversary lecture, an AGM of the association and a fundraising dinner, among other events.
The anniversary lecture, which will hold on April 1st will be delivered by the current NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, an alumnus of the faculty, while the guest of honour will be the President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Prof. Cyril Odianose Usifoh.
Onyechi said, “there is good reason to celebrate the achievements of eminent graduates of our faculty who are making an impact in their respective fields both locally and internationally. The celebration will afford us the opportunity to network among ourselves, interact with the faculty board and students, strengthen the alumni association and raise funds to support projects in the faculty.”
According to him, the celebration is aimed at bringing a “new vista in the annals of our faculty which will usher in an era of quality infrastructure and a more conducive atmosphere for learning and research.”
The Dean of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prof. Ken Oforkansi, while speaking, noted that, “50 years is an important milestone in the life of any individual or organisation. That’s why we are celebrating the impact of the faculty in the pharmaceutical industry and health sector of the country.
“We’ve done well as a faculty and that’s why we want to pat ourselves on the back, and as we do that, we will be charting the way forward for the future. As we take stock of what we have achieved, we should be thankful to God for the achievements we have recorded over this period of 50 years.
The faculty is growing in leaps and bounds and our alumni are doing exploits anywhere they are.”
The Coordinator, Golden Jubilee Celebration, Dr. Okay Akpa, who expressed excitement at the programme, said it is geared towards lifting the faculty and empowering its products to build a strong pharmaceutical industry. He said, “a strong pharmacy faculty like the one we have in UNN will translate to a strong pharmaceutical industry, which will lead to a strong health system.”
A member of the Lagos Action Team for the celebration, IG Anukwu, noted that the culture of excellence which UNN is known for is also evident in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, saying,
“our alumni participate in the four major practice areas of pharmacy – academic pharmacy, community pharmacy, industrial pharmacy and hospital pharmacy, so we have made our mark. It’s not just that we are there, we drive excellence.”
Also present at the press conference were Margret Obono and Chuka Chukwuanu, both members of Lagos Action Team of Golden Jubilee Celebration.
