Nigeria’s health sector faces acute challenges even as innovators redefine its future.
Public financing remains well below global benchmarks: the 2024 federal budget allocated about N1.34 trillion to health just around 4.6% of the total budget far short of the 15% Abuja Declaration target.
Many states also under‑spend on health relative to their budgets, with actual execution rates lagging allocations. Out‑of‑pocket payments, though improving, still account for a majority of health spending, reaching about 58.3% in 2024, exposing households to financial hardship.
Health outcomes remain uneven: Nigeria’s under‑five mortality rate is among the world’s highest at over 100 deaths per 1,000 live births, while infant and neonatal deaths also persist at worrying levels. Maternal mortality continues to drive concern, with the country contributing a substantial share of global maternal deaths due to limited access to quality obstetric care.
Despite these systemic gaps in funding, infrastructure, and outcomes, visionary women founders are leading solutions from supply chain innovations and primary care platforms to diagnostics, health education, and community‑driven services—transforming Nigeria’s health landscape and expanding access to quality care across communities.
Dr. Stella Chinyelu Okoli is the Founder and Group Managing Director of Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, one of Nigeria’s leading indigenous pharmaceutical manufacturers. She established the company with a focus on producing affordable, high-quality medicines, helping to expand access to essential healthcare across the country.
She holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) and a Master’s degree in Biopharmaceutics from the University of London’s Chelsea College, earned in 1971. She has also completed executive programmes at Harvard Business School, Lagos Business School, and IESE Business School, strengthening her expertise in corporate leadership and strategy.
Under her leadership, Emzor has grown into a household name, playing a significant role in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical value chain and local drug manufacturing efforts.
Beyond business, Dr. Okoli founded the Chike Okoli Foundation in 2006 in memory of her son. The foundation promotes entrepreneurship through a Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and has reached over 1.5 million Nigerians through health and lifestyle interventions.
She has received numerous recognitions, including the International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge Award, and national honours of MON and OON, cementing her legacy as a key figure in Nigeria’s healthcare sector.
