Speaker Bios

(In order of appearance)

Arkebe Oqubay, PhD, is a Senior Minister and Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, and has been at the centre of policymaking for over 30 years. He has served as a chair and vice-chair on the boards of several leading public organizations and international advisory boards. He is the former mayor of Addis Ababa, won the ABN’s Best African Mayor of 2006 award for transforming the city, and was a finalist in the World Mayor Award 2006. Dr Arkebe was recognized by the New African as one of the 100 Most Influential Africans of 2016 and a “leading thinker on Africa’s strategic development” for his work on industrialization and industrial policies, both theoretical and practical. The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, was presented to him by the Emperor of Japan in recognition of his distinguished achievements.

He is a Professor of Practice at the University of Johannesburg (South Africa), a visiting professor at Sciences Po (Paris) and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), and a distinguished visiting professor at Fudan University (Shanghai). Dr Arkebe is a UNU-WIDER Honorary Research Fellow, a Distinguished Fellow at the London-based think-tank the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), and a research associate at the Centre of African Studies in the University of London. He holds a PhD in development studies from SOAS, University of London.

His research focuses on core development economics issues, including structural transformation, industrial policy, economic catch-up, and global transformation, with a particular interest in developing countries. His published works include the path-breaking Made in Africa (Oxford University Press, 2015); The Oxford Handbook of the Ethiopian Economy (Oxford University Press, 2019); How Nations Learn: Technological Learning, Industrial Policy, and Catch-Up (Oxford University Press, 2019); China-Africa and an Economic Transformation (Oxford University Press, 2019); African Economic Development: Evidence, Theory, and Policy (Oxford University Press, 2020); The Oxford Handbook of Industrial Hubs and Economic Development (Oxford University, 2020); and The Oxford Handbook of Industrial Policy (Oxford University Press, 2020).

Pharm Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, OFR, is the national president, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria. He is a fellow of several professional organizations, the most prominent being, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (FPSN), the Nigerian Academy of Pharmacy (FNA. Pharm), the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (FPC. Pharm), the Nigerian Institute of Management (FNIM), the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (FNIMN), the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (FNIPR), and the Institute of Management Consultants (FIMC).

Pharm Sam is the Past Chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Past President, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), Past Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ikeja and once National President of the Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce (NACC).

Pharm Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa studied Pharmacy at the University of IFE (Now OAU) graduating in 1976. He did Postgraduate training in Business and Organizational Management at Columbia University, N.Y, USA and the Lagos Business School. He joined Pfizer Products Plc. in 1978 as a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative and rose to become the Chairman/CEO in 1993. In 1997, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa led the Management Buy-Over of Pfizer Inc. shares in Pfizer Products Plc., transforming the resultant company – Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc. into a medium-sized Nigerian R&D Based Pharmaceutical company. He voluntarily retired from the company after 33 years’ service in the industry, 18 years of which were at CEO level.

A pharmaceutical professional with experience in strategic planning, business development, team leadership, and management of key stakeholder relationships in health. Over the course of her career, Daniella has focused on quality management systems for the health supply chain, organizational regulatory compliance and is now engaged in advocacy for better health systems. Armed with a strong passion for equitable health for all, Daniella is involved in policy recommendations and idea mobilization in the pharmaceutical sector towards attainment of universal healthcare coverage. She has contributed to development of various health sector policies, notably the WHO Guidelines on self-care interventions for sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Dr Skhumbuzo Ngozwana

Dr Ngozwana is CEO of Kiara Health, a South African based Africa-focused healthcare company. He is an international expert on the African Pharmaceutical industry and has worked with both the private and global public health organizations. He consulted to the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the United States Pharmacopeia Convention (USP). He co-authored the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa. The plan was the output of the extensive research and analytical work he conducted on the African pharmaceutical industry. He co-authored the Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Sector Strategy and Action Plan and the pharmaceutical sector strategies of several countries. He consulted for USP on their Africa strategy and authored a Thought Leadership Paper titled, The Next Frontiers for the Public Health Medicines Market: Rethinking Priorities for Improved Access to Quality-Assured Medicines for Universal Access.

IG Anukwu is the National Chairman of the Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP) where he leads National Advocacy for the establishment of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Parks in Nigeria as a panacea for unleashing the Nigerian Pharmaceutical Industry.

IG Anukwu holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Master of Pharmacy degree in Clinical Pharmacy and Bio-Pharmacy from the University of Lagos.

With over 25 years of experience in the Nigeria Pharma Industry, IG has a track record of leading innovation through planning and successful implementation of business strategies. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Alpha Pharmacy; a wholly indigenous firm renowned for providing rare ethical pharmaceutical products across the length and breadth of Nigeria. Alpha Pharmacy and Stores Limited also operates a retail chain across the country where IG is achieving corporate goals through the development and motivation of people.

Prior to joining Alpha Pharmacy, IG has recorded outstanding performance and leadership in diverse roles of increasing responsibility in the industry through formulation and implementation of Sales, Marketing, Brand Planning and Business Development Strategies to drive revenue growth.

IG Anukwu is a Merit Award winner of the Lagos State Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria. He has served the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria in various capacities and is, at present, a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and council of the PSN. IG is a member of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).

IG Anukwu is married to Isioma and their marriage is blessed with children.

Seth Akweshie, who holds qualifications in economics, international business management and accountancy, has a distinguished career as an academic (Fulbright scholar and university lecturer) and industrial civil servant and is an accomplished industrial development consultant specialising in African industry.

His more than 40 years’ experience encompasses regional, national, sector and company issues. He has particular experience in inclusive and sustainable industrial development; sustainability & cleaner production; industrial governance; industrial upgrading and modernisation; and industrial cooperation and regional value chains.

He has worked across Southern, East and Central Africa for key UN agencies and regional trade groupings. He was appointed by UNIDO as the SADC Regional Coordinator for the African Productive Capacity Initiative (APCI) and is well-connected to senior industrial sector policy makers throughout the region. He was the Industrialization Advisor to the SADC Secretariat from March 2017 to May 2018.

Kirti Narsai has 23 years of experience of working in various roles in the healthcare industry and has won several awards during her career for leadership, innovation, and performance. She has held many technical and managerial roles which have given her broad exposure across commercial and noncommercial areas across broad geographical areas. She currently runs her own consultancy focusing on health and trade policy issues in Africa while completing her PhD in Pharmaceutical Policy at the Utrecht University, Netherlands focusing on health products regulation in the Southern African region. Prior to this, she served as Senior Director, Government Affairs & Policy at Johnson & Johnson with responsibility for Sub Saharan Africa where she was responsible for proactively assessing, influencing and shaping the rapidly evolving Health Policy environment in the region across the company’s core focus areas: medical devices, pharmaceuticals and consumer products. She also completed the Ascend Accelerated Leadership Development Program at Johnson & Johnson during 2018, reserved for women identified for accelerated development. She has facilitated the African Regional Business Network meeting of the World Economic Forum for Africa and appeared in a panel interview on CNBC Africa on the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.

She has held several board positions at Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices, South Africa, Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Sub-Saharan Africa, Nepad Business Foundation, Janssen, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, South Africa, American Chamber of Commerce, South Africa, National Business Initiative. She has also been a member of several special interest groups: World Economic Forum, African Regional Business Network, Johnson & Johnson, Africa Innovation Challenge Leadership team, Transformation Advisory Committee – National Business Initiative, Gauteng government task team for investment in pharmaceutical and medical devices sector. Previously she was Head: Scientific and Regulatory Affairs at the Pharmaceutical Industry Association of South Africa (PIASA), a trade association representing pharmaceutical companies in South Africa. Kirti focused on strategic scientific, health and pharmaceutical policy issues affecting pharmaceutical companies operating in South Africa and other African countries across 4 regional economic communities.

Kirti has published several reports, submissions and research papers in international peer reviewed journals on policy issues affecting the pharmaceutical industry. She facilitated and chaired various industry working groups focusing on key policy issues and also convened the first Cold Chain forum in SA. She was responsible for trade industry submissions on various draft policy issues, including National Health Insurance, Pharmaco-economics, draft

regulations, and reimbursement of medicines, product quality, pharmacovigilance and clinical trials. Kirti began her career in the pharmaceutical industry with Janssen, pharmaceutical companies of Johnson & Johnson in 1997 in Medical Affairs and Pharmacovigilance. She held several positions of increasing responsibility in Medical Affairs at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. She was also Programme Manager at a leading health insurance company, PruHealth (a division of Discovery Health). Kirti is a qualified pharmacist, with a M.Sc. (Pharmaceutics) (cum laude) and an MBA (GIBS) (dissertation with distinction). Kirti is passionate about health and related policies and their impact on patients and public health in African countries.

Having held Management and Director positions with many local and international brands such as Johnson and Johnson, Dinaledi Medical, Philips and Stryker, Marlon Burgess brings a wealth of knowledge and years of experience to ASH. In 2015, Marlon completed his tenure as Chairman of SAMED and still is an active Board Member. Marlon also Chairs: AMCHAM Health Forum and SAMED’s Public Sector Committee. Prof Caroline Ncube is an NRF rated researcher and holds the DST/NRF SARChI Research Chair in Intellectual Property, Innovation and Development. She holds a PhD from the University of Cape Town, an LLB degree from the University of Zimbabwe and an LLM from the University of Cambridge. She is a Fellow of the Cambridge Commonwealth Society and a Shell Centenary Fund Scholar. She is an Associate Member of the Centre for Law, Technology and Society, at the University of Ottawa.

Professor Ncube joined the Department of Commercial Law, as a lecturer, in January 2005. Since then, she has served as Head of the Department of Commercial Law (2014 -2016) and Deputy Dean, Postgraduate Studies (2017). Before joining UCT, she lectured at the University of Limpopo (formerly University of the North) and the University of Zimbabwe. Prior to embarking on an academic career, she briefly practised as an attorney.

Professor Ncube plays an active role in various professional associations and networks. She is often invited to give lectures and seminars in Intellectual Property to various constituencies. She is also actively involved in research projects that focus on open development, access to knowledge and the promotion of a balanced approach to IP. She is the founding co-editor of the South African Intellectual Property Law Journal and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Corporate and Commercial Law & Practice, the African Journal of Intellectual Property and the African Journal of Information and Communication.