Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in the Americas (NAPPSA) Immediate Past President, Pharm. Emmanuel Chidi Ezirim, has officially handed over leadership to President-Elect, Dr. Adekunle Tometi, Pharm. D. The transition underscores both continuity and renewal in NAPPSA’s mission to strengthen pharmaceutical science, education, and diaspora-home collaboration.

Under Ezirim’s leadership, NAPPSA intensified efforts to transform from a diaspora social network into a structured professional and philanthropic organization. Among his key initiatives:

He championed NAPPSA’s endowment fund — reporting that the association had already amassed over US$800,000, and committing to reaching a US$1 million endowment benchmark. The goal: to use the endowment to build a permanent “NAPPSA House / Institute,” the long-term hub for the group’s academic, research and community outreach activities.

Under his tenure, NAPPSA continued to strengthen ties with homeland pharmaceutical and regulatory bodies — aiming to influence healthcare delivery, drug safety, and public health policy in Nigeria.

Importantly, Ezirim presided over a period in which NAPPSA consolidated as a credible professional diaspora association — positioning it to play a constructive role in bridging global pharmaceutical science with African public-health needs.

During the hand-over, Ezirim reportedly congratulated the incoming leadership — expressing confidence that NAPPSA’s new direction will build on the foundations laid during his administration.

“I congratulate Dr. Adekunle Tometi on his election as President-Elect and extend my full support for a smooth transition,” Ezirim said.

With the hand-over complete, Dr. Adekunle Tometi accepted the leadership mantle, pledging to uphold NAPPSA’s core values of integrity, transparency, and service.

In his acceptance message, he emphasized the transformation of NAPPSA from a membership association into “a hub for collaboration, innovation, and service,” pledging to:

· Expand membership tiers and regional outreach.

· Foster inclusive leadership pathways and mentorship programs spanning young and senior professionals.

· Mobilize inter-sectoral partnerships — engaging governments, academia, industry, and international collaborators.

· Drive community-oriented initiatives — medical missions, public-health education campaigns, scholarship funding, and stronger diaspora-home linkages.

Under him, NAPPSA intends to finalize realization of the NAPPSA House / Research Center — a legacy project conceived (and seeded) under Ezirim’s tenure — to serve as a permanent institutional base.

“This is not a ceremonial position,” Tometi said. “It is a call to serve with purpose, to lead with vision, and build a legacy that reflects the best of our profession and our shared humanity.”

NAPPSA, as an umbrella organization for Nigerian pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists in the Americas, plays a critical bridging role — enhancing professional development abroad while influencing healthcare, drug regulation, and capacity building back home.

The shift from a volunteer-driven network toward a more structured, institution-building diaspora association underlines a maturing vision: that diaspora expertise and resources can contribute meaningfully to healthcare delivery, regulation, research, and capacity building in Nigeria.

With the incoming leadership reaffirming commitment to inclusivity, collaboration, mentorship and service, NAPPSA appears poised to deepen its impact — not just among its members in North America, but on global health, pharmaceutical research, and public health outcomes in Africa.