Mr. Francis Ezeribe Ononiwu is the Director of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administrative and Control (NAFDAC), and doubles as the Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Food. His mandate is to ensure that individuals and corporate entities who deals on NAFDAC regulated products align with the laws and regulations of the Agency, if need be, by force.
He holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharm) degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Master of Arts (M.A) degree in Peace and Security Studies from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. He is a fellow of the Security Institute (fsi) of the National Institute for Security Studies, Nigeria. Mr Francis Ononiwu is also a Chief Superintendent of Police in the Supernumerary Police Unit of the Nigeria Police Force.
He previously served as the Director in charge of the six states of the South-South Zone of Nigeria. As a Deputy Director in the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, he was the Head of the Intelligence Gathering & Analysis Division and Cosmetics Division, respectively at different times.
He is an accomplished Public Servant, who at some points of his career was states coordinator, where he successfully administered Oyo state, Ebonyi state and Ekiti state and efficiently managed human and financial resources to surpass target set for his office.
He is a seasoned Food and Drug regulator and administrator with over thirty-two years’ experience.
He is an expert in investigating pharmaceutical crimes and is experienced in tracking and arresting substandard and falsified (SF) medicines and other unwholesome NAFDAC regulated products that is intended for supply to Nigerian market.
While he was states coordinator, he coordinated sustained enforcement actions leading to migration from illegal manual packaging of unwholesome sachet and bottled water to wholesome NAFDAC registered packaged water. He provided support for cottage bakery operators and tablet soap manufacturers to raise them to minimum GMP requirement. Through coordinated intelligence gathering and sustained enforcement action, he contributed significantly to cause reduction in Substandard and falsified medical products, unwholesome foods, and other regulated products in circulation in Nigeria.
He has experience in other regulatory areas of NAFDAC, including working in the Ports Inspectorate Directorate to regulated imported and exported regulated product at the sea ports, airports and land borders. He was a pioneer officer of the first land border office of NAFDAC in Nigeria, which is Idiroko border post in Ogun state.
Mr Francis Ononiwu has travelled to countries in Africa, Asia and Europe for GMP audit of drugs, medical devices, food, cosmetics and agricultural chemicals plants, for the purpose of NAFDAC registration of regulated products.
Ononiwu also contributed in the drafting of Standard Operating Procedures, guidelines and regulations and was part of the management staff of NAFDAC that contributed significantly to Nigeria’s attainment of Maturity Level 3 of the WHO GBT.
