Ifeanyi Okoye Emerges 12th President of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has elected Dr Ifeanyi Eric Okoye, Chief Executive Officer of Juhel Nigeria Limited, as its 12th president, following the conclusion of its 54th Annual General Meeting held in Lagos on October 7, 2026.

Okoye succeeds Otunba Francis Meshioye, who completed his four-year tenure leading the association, which represents manufacturers and advocates policies to support industrial development in Nigeria.

The new president brings extensive experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing and industry leadership, having established Juhel Nigeria Limited in 1987. The wholly indigenous pharmaceutical company is headquartered in Enugu State and has expanded its manufacturing operations over the years.

Juhel moved to its permanent site in Emene, Enugu, and subsequently expanded its facilities to include the production of syrups and capsules. In 2010, the company opened a major parenteral manufacturing facility in Awka, Anambra State.

Okoye holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, as well as master's and doctoral degrees in Pharmaceutical Technology and Industrial Pharmacy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he graduated as the best student in his class.

He is a Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and an alumnus of Harvard Business School in the United States. He also attended the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, Plateau State, and received the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic in 2012.

His professional experience includes membership of the Ministerial Committee on the Establishment of World-Class Hospitals and Diagnostic Centres between 2013 and 2015. He also served on the Governing Council of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria from 2009 to 2022.

Before his election as national president, Okoye held several leadership positions within MAN. He served as chairman of the association’s branches in Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi states from 1998 to 2005, before becoming vice-president from 2006 to 2010.

His emergence comes as Nigerian manufacturers continue to contend with high production costs, infrastructure deficits, foreign exchange pressures and other challenges affecting industrial operations and competitiveness.

MAN serves as a platform for manufacturers to engage government and other stakeholders on policies affecting local production, investment, employment and the broader business environment.

Okoye’s tenure is expected to place him at the centre of the association’s engagement with policymakers and industry stakeholders on measures to strengthen domestic manufacturing and improve the operating environment for Nigerian businesses.