Kenneth Ofokansi

Kenneth Chibuzor Ofokansi is a Nigerian professor of pharmaceutics of the University of Nigeria. He was the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the Director of International Collaboration of the university, in which time he supervised the production of the first indigenous laptop assembly line of a Nigerian university. He was also the chairman, Senate Ceremonials of the University of Nigeria. He was awarded the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship in 2006. Ofokansi delivered the 140th Inaugural lecture of the University of Nigeria on August 16, 2018.

Early life and education
Ofokansi was born on January 17, 1971, in Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Nigeria. He hails from Nando community in Anambra East LGA, Anambra State. His parents are Gabriel Ozoekwe and Cecilia Mbanugo Ofokansi. He attended Boys' High School, Nando, and was awarded the George/John Nnamdi Memorial Price for the Best Graduating Student in Academic in 1988. He completed his Bachelor of Pharmacy at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1996, followed by a Master of Pharmacy in 2000 and a Doctor of Philosophy in 2004 from the same university.

Career
In November 2000, he began working as a lecturer in the Department of Pharmaceutics at the University of Nigeria. By 2006, he had been promoted to senior lecturer. In July 2006, Ofokansi received a post-doctoral Research Fellowship Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. As a result, he relocated to Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich, Germany in March 2007. He collaborated on creating a gelatin-based nanotechnology formulation to administer human insulin with the Nobel laureate, Prof. Gregory Winter and Dr. C. Coester. He later conducted in vivo experiments with animal models to test the effectiveness of his formulations at Ruprecht Karl University in Heidelberg, Germany from May 2008 to April 30, 2009, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Gert Fricker.

Ofokansi held various leadership positions in the academic field, including serving as Head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology & Biotechnology in the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra, Nigeria. He was also Head, Department of pharmaceutics, UNN. He achieved the rank of Professor in October 2011 and went on to serve as Director of International Collaborations and Linkages at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Additionally, he was appointed Chairman of the Senates Ceremonials Committee at the same university. From 2020 to 2022, he served as Dean of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Membership of professional bodies
Ofokansi is a member, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN); member, Nigerian Association of Pharmacists in Academia (NAPA); member, West African Society of Pharmacology (WASP); member, Controlled Release Society (CRS); and, member, International Association for Pharmaceutical Technology (APV).

Awards
Aside from being a Humboldt fellow, Ofokansi was the recipient of the Controlled Release Society (CRS) Graduate Student/Post-Doctoral Outstanding Consumer and Diversified Products Best Paper Award on July 15, 2008 in Manhattan, New York, USA, for his contribution entitled: "Development of Gelatin-Based Nanoparticulate Formulation for the Delivery of Human Insulin".

Editorship of journals
He is the Circulation Editor for the Journal of Pharmaceutical & Allied Sciences, Nigeria.

Publications

 * Ofokansi, K.C. et al. (2021). "Intranasal artesunate-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers: A convenient alternative to parenteral formulations for the treatment of severe and cerebral malaria", Journal of Controlled Release, 334:224-236, June 10.
 * Ofokansi, K.C. et al. (2020). “Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics behaviour of insulin from PEGylated-mucin microparticles coated with pH sensitive polymer: Preparation and characterization” Materials Today Communications, 25. December.
 * Ofokansi, K.C. et al. (2020). “Insulin-loaded mucoadhesive nanoparticles based on mucin-chitosan complexes for oral delivery and diabetes treatment”, Carbohydrate Polymers, February 1, 229.
 * Ofokansi, K.C. et al. (2019). “Surface-modified mucoadhesive microparticles as a controlled release system for oral delivery of insulin”, n Heliyon September 1, 5(9).
 * Ofokansi, K.C. et al. (2019). “A new lipid-based oral delivery system of erythromycin for prolong sustain release activity”, in Materials Science & Engineering C, 97:245-253, April 1.
 * Ofokansi, K.C. et al. (2018). “Surface-modified mucoadhesive microgels as a controlled release system for miconazole nitrate to improve localized treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis”, n European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences January 1, 111:358-375.