Organization:Obi Peter Adigwe

From HandWiki
Short description: Nigerian pharmacist
Obi Peter Adigwe
Portrait of Adigwe
Director-General/CEO of National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development
Assumed office
10 August 2018
Appointed byMuhammadu Buhari
Preceded byGamaliel Karniyus
Personal details
Alma materUniversity of Jos
University of Edinburgh
University of Leeds

Obi Peter Adigwe is a Nigerian pharmacist and a pharmaceutical policy specialist.[1] He has served as the director-general of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), since 10 August 2018.[2][3] He was appointed by the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari. Before his appointment at NIPRD, he was the Executive Secretary of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers' Association of Nigeria. He holds a Doctorate of Pharmaceutical Policy from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom.

Education

Obi Adigwe attended the University of Jos, obtaining a Bachelor's of Pharmacy degree in 2000. He received an MSc in Global Health and Public Policy from the University of Edinburgh in 2008, and a Doctorate degree (PhD) in Pharmaceutical Policy from the University of Leeds, in 2012.[4]

His doctoral dissertation was titled Non-Medical Prescribing in Chronic Non-Malignant Pain.[5]

Career

Adigwe began his career in 2005 as a pharmacist at the National Assembly's Pharmacy Department in Abuja, Nigeria, where he remained until 2007. From 2010 to 2012, he was a senior project officer in the Pharmacy Department Unit at the University of Leeds.[6] From 2012 to 2015, he headed the Health Policy Research and Development Unit at the National Assembly (NASS), FCT, Abuja, Nigeria, where he developed research and development strategies across multiple policy areas and also authored write-ups to disseminate findings from research projects. During this period, Dr. Adigwe served as Head of the Health Policy Research and Development (HPRD) Unit at Nigeria's National Assembly. He has published in the fields of health policy and pharmacy. His publications include Exploring the Matrix: Knowledge Perceptions and Prospects of artificial intelligence and machine learning in Nigerian Healthcare[7] and Rational Use of Medicines in Nigeria: A Critical Review.[8]

On 14 June 2022, Adigwe was reappointed as the director general of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD).[9] Adigwe has mentored more than 80 PhD and MSc candidates, and 100 pharmacists. Adigwe has more than 80 scientific presentations. He chaired and contributed to the COVID-19 pandemic response, by providing an analysis that was recognized by the Nigerian Government and informed the country on the Madagascan COVID-Organics preparation.[10]

Throughout his career, Adigwe has led teams that managed to secure high-profile grants, including a Clinical Trials Grant from the ECOWAS, an API Grant from African Export–Import Bank, a Drug Development Mega Grant from Tertiary Education Trust Fund and a European Union / Government of Bulgaria Grant supporting Local Production of Vaccines in the Nigerian setting. Based on the NIPRD study led by Dr Adigwe, the European Union announced the award of an €18m grant to Nigeria,[11] as a catalyst for the vaccine research.

Adigwe, in his capacity as Director General of NIPRD, stated that an analysis conducted by the institute found no evidence that Madagascar's herbal remedy could cure COVID-19[12]. He also contributed to research that dealt with the coronavirus in Nigeria.[13][14]

In May 2025, Adigwe was appointed by Iziaq Adekunle Salako to lead the Nigerian Ministerial Committee on the development and commercialization of the phytomedicines value chain.[15]

He has worked with several African institutions on research and development initiatives. For example, he led the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development in engaging with the Department of Science and Innovation and the National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence in Indigenous Knowledge Systems (CIKS) based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). This culminated in a partnership to promote research and development, including human capital development in the Phytomedicine Value Chain.

Moreover, he engaged the Eswatini Epilepsy Organization during a symposium at the Eswatini Medical Christian University, turning indigenous plants into life-saving medicines; the University of Botswana for Bioinformatics and Genomics Sequencing research; and the Centre for Plant Medicine Research, Manpong-Akuapem, Ghana for collaboration in critical aspects of phytomedicines and drug development. He has co-authored a book informed by these topics with Kofi Busia entitled "A Contextual Exploration of Phytomedicines' Development in Africa".[16]

Dr. Obi Peter Adigwe has headed and served on numerous Committees and Expert Working Groups at both national and international levels, including within the D8, United Nations, World Health Organisation [WHO], The African Union and ECOWAS. In 2025 he was appointed Chair of the Ministerial Committee for the Commercialization of Phytomedicine value chain in Nigeria[17] and advocacy lead for SPARK Global on translational research in Africa.[18] Dr. Adigwe was presented with Nigeria's highest Productivity Award by the President of Nigeria in recognition of his hard work, productivity and excellence in National Developmental Initiatives.[19] Adigwe is a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Pharmacy, the West African Institute of Public Health, the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists, and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN).

References

  1. ↑ "FG Reappoints Adigwe as DG NIPRD". https://www.health.gov.ng/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=853:fg-reappoints-adigwe-as-dg-niprd&Itemid=510. 
  2. ↑ "FG Appoints Adigwe as DG NIPRD – VANGUARDNG". Vanguard (Lagos, Nigeria). https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/09/fg-appoints-aidgwe-director-general-niprid/. 
  3. ↑ "FG Appoints Adigwe NIPRD Director General – INDEPENDENTNG". Independent (Lagos, Nigeria). https://independent.ng/fg-appoints-adigwe-niprd-director-general/. 
  4. ↑ "Dr Peter Obi Adigwe biography – Orcid". https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8832-6459. 
  5. ↑ Adigwe, Obi Peter (2012). "Non-medical Prescribing in chronic non-malignant pain". https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/12675/1/Adigwe_OP_Healthcare_Phd_2012.pdf. 
  6. ↑ "Obi Peter Adigwe Profile – HSJ for Healthcare Leaders". https://www.hsj.co.uk/obi-peter-adigwe/1202711.bio. 
  7. ↑ Adigwe, Obi Peter; Onavbavba, Godspower; Sanyaolu, Saheed Ekundayo (2024-01-19). "Exploring the matrix: knowledge, perceptions and prospects of artificial intelligence and machine learning in Nigerian healthcare". Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence 6. doi:10.3389/frai.2023.1293297. ISSN 2624-8212. PMID 38314120. 
  8. ↑ Alfa, John, Obi Peter Adigwe (2014). "Rational Use of Medicines in Nigeria: A Criticial Review". Journal of Biology Agriculture and Healthcare 4 (16): 89–98. https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/124952329/14797-libre.pdf?1760148659=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DRational_Use_of_Medicines_in_Nigeria_A_C.pdf&Expires=1777674690&Signature=Pm-~Ii0ZBcWIRP7x4y1QHvAZOYgLW1bvy16FI~mms5Gmuy4qYlldY3KjuupqkrOQ3nBw7MoG2lQjDMlK8kIlIG4SNpwKbq0xBmM3kjGGJcPBu-z-tFN5QgUJlihmccPTCwz3EVE9DhC5PRKDVpeboCjAvX2wBRW68AYjZJjrlgsY8IQ6~iL-loGnmL2LtBrPfjGYyCU5VwGglhLXlcl7G3W--8vzBr~y0tYsGCSZy215g9M8mkr3bX7QdRbIo928epu4oR3O5LB6rZUsvLHHwgbxpP-r8vdwg8K93hW7YeegwNOdpWKkW0FKkL5TD9XX~f8gLmCR-0tC7LUhYgP4tA__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA. 
  9. ↑ "FG Appoints Adigwe NIPRD Director General – INDEPENDENTNG". Independent (Lagos, Nigeria). https://independent.ng/fg-appoints-adigwe-niprd-director-general/. 
  10. ↑ "Interview - How NIPRD is supporting Nigeria's fight against covid-19 – Premiumtimesng". Premium Times. https://www.premiumtimesng.com/health/health-features/435877-interview-how-niprd-is-supporting-nigerias-fight-against-covid-19-dg.html?tztc=1. 
  11. ↑ "EU To Invest €18m In Vaccine Research In Nigeria". Leadership. https://leadership.ng/eu-to-invest-e18m-in-vaccine-research-in-nigeria/#:~:text=The%20European%20Union%20(EU)%20has,and%20Local%20Production%202024%2D2034. 
  12. ↑ ILO, Ihuoma (2020-07-20). "Madagascar herb: No evidence it can cure COVID-19 — NIPRD Chief" (in en-GB). https://www.icirnigeria.org/madagascar-herb-no-evidence-it-can-cure-covid-19-niprd-chief-says-nigeria-can-provide-a-cure-in-six-months/. 
  13. ↑ Adigwe, Obi Peter; Onavbavba, Godspower; Adebola, Olajide Joseph; Ayeke, Anthony; Sanyaolu, Saheed Ekundayo; Agu, Kenneth Anene (December 2024). "Current State and Challenges of Local Production of Vaccines in Nigeria" (in en). Public Health Challenges 3 (4). doi:10.1002/puh2.70006. ISSN 2769-2450. PMID 40496427. 
  14. ↑ Adigwe, Obi Peter; Onavbavba, Godspower (2024). "Attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination: A cross sectional study in the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria". PLOS Global Public Health 4 (4). doi:10.1371/journal.pgph.0002589. ISSN 2767-3375. PMID 38635548. 
  15. ↑ Anthony (2025-05-08). "FG sets up committee to commercialise phytomedicine products" (in en-GB). https://guardian.ng/features/health/fg-sets-up-committee-to-commercialise-phytomedicine-products/. 
  16. ↑ Adigwe, Obi Peter; Busia, Kofi (2023). A Contextual Exploration of Phytomedicines' Development in Africa. Xlibris Corporation LLC. ISBN 978-1-6641-1852-2. 
  17. ↑ "FG Moves To Unlock Economic Health Potential Of Phytomedicine Sector". 7 May 2025. https://sciencenigeria.com/fg-moves-to-unlock-economic-health-potential-of-phytomedical-sector/. 
  18. ↑ "Nigeria to Host SPARK Translational Research Bootcamp and Launch SPARK Nigeria Program". https://x.com/PVAC_NG/status/1940351805436658172. 
  19. ↑ Bankole, Idowu (2022-05-12). "Adigwe clinches nation's highest productivity award" (in en-GB). https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/05/adigwe-clinches-nations-highest-productivity-award/. 



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