Prof. Dora Akunyili will receive an International Active Woman Award in the Niger Republic for her role in supporting the welfare of women.
Akunyili will be given the award as part of celebration of the International Women Day scheduled for March 8.
The award is to be presented by the Incubation, Entrepreneurship and Leadership Promotion Centre (CIPEL) in collaboration with the Niger Republic Ministry of Women Promotion.
This is contained in a statement signed by Mrs Issa Almoustapha, the Chairperson, Organising Committee of the event and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
The event, which holds every March 8 since 2010, is designed to pay tribute to women and to all men who support to the best of their ability, the welfare of women.
According to the statement, Akunyili is being honoured for her role in the promotion of women in the light of her fight against fake medicine when she was the Director General of NAFDAC.
It recalled that prior to the appointment of Akunyili as the director general of NAFDAC in 2001, the issue of fake drugs was seriously plaguing the nation with women and children suffering the greatest casualties.
It said that other recipients of the award will come from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Morocco and Togo.
“Akinyili is being awarded as a pioneer woman leader who worked for the promotion of women in the light of her fight against fake medicine when she was D-G of NAFDAC,’’ the statement said.
The event, which is sponsored by the first lady of Niger Republic, Dr Issoufou Malika, also enjoyed the high patronage of the Nigerien Prime Minister, Mr Brigi Rafini.
Also in a separate statement, the Nigerien Ambassador to Nigeria, Mandour Maman Hadj Dadda, commended Akunyili on her nomination to receive the pioneer award.
It said that Prof. Dora Dora Akunyili, who assumed office on April 12, 2001 as the Director General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), “is a Pharmacist’’.
The statement said that NAFDAC, during her tenure, conducted over 800 raids on drug-distribution outlets and 90 destruction exercises on counterfeit or substandard medicines.
Other award received by Akunyili include “One of the 18 Heroes of Our Time’’ from Time Magazine, “Person of the Year award’’ from Silverbird Communications, “Icon of Excellence Award’’ from the African Cultural Institute and “Integrity Award 2003’’ from Transparency International.
She also received award from the Pharmaceutical Association in Garbon and from the government of Italy in 2011, among others. (NAN)