COMPETENT AND EFFECTIVE IN LEADERSHIP PROFILE: MR CELESTINE O. OKANYA By: Ejiofor Nicholas



Mr Celestine O. Okanya is a  Technocrat. A Nation Builder. A Trusted Hand for Responsible Representation and Development.


Mr Celestine O. Okanya is a distinguished public policy expert, quality infrastructure specialist and development strategist from Ulunya Ovoko-Akpurokwe in Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area of Enugu State. He is a committed Catholic and Knight of St. Columbus (KSC), he embodies discipline, service and integrity in both public and private life.


With over three decades of cross-sectoral experience spanning public policy, pharmaceutical sciences, institutional development and nonprofit leadership, Mr Celestine has built a reputation not as a conventional politician, but as a systems builder whose work has shaped standards and governance frameworks across Nigeria, Africa and the world at large.


Currently serving as the Director General/CEO of the Nigeria National Accreditation System (NiNAS), he has led the organization to achieve full international recognition, establishing it as a self-sustaining, globally respected institution independent of government subvention. Under his leadership, NiNAS has become a symbol of efficiency, credibility and national pride.


On the continental stage, Mr Celestine O. Okanya serves as the Chairman of the African Accreditation Cooperation (AFRAC) and he is the immediate past Chairman of the Pan African Quality Infrastructure (PAQI), a strategic body advising the African Union on quality and standards across member states. His contributions were instrumental in shaping both the Nigeria National Quality Policy and the Africa Quality Policy, positioning him as a key architect of regulatory and institutional excellence.


A member of the National Quality Council (NQC) under the Presidency, he also served as Secretary of the National Quality Policy Review and Drafting Committee, further reinforcing his role in national governance and policy design.


Mr Celestine’s professional journey began in service to the nation as a military pharmacist in the Nigerian Army, after earning his Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Jos. He later expanded his expertise internationally, earning a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Hamline University, Minnesota, USA, alongside advanced certifications in Strategic Management, Health Economics, Community Development and Health Administration.


His career spans impactful roles with global institutions such as the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), as well as leadership positions in academia and civil society, including Director of Academic Planning at Peaceland University and Executive Director of POWER (Partnership Opportunities for Women Empowerment Realisation), an initiative of the wife of the governor of Cross River State. He also served as the President of CYI,  Children and Youth International and Principal Consultant, Skills and Social Network, LTD/GE


Beyond titles and positions, Mr. Celestine Okanya is a development driven leader, providing consultancy in community development, organizational reform, strategic planning and human capital development. He has consistently demonstrated the rare ability to translate ideas into sustainable systems that work.


In the 2023 general election, Celestine Okanya was a cleared aspirant for the Enugu North Senatorial seat under the People's Democratic Party (PDP) platform, demonstrating his readiness to serve. Though internal party dynamics prevented his participation at the time, his commitment to the people of Enugu North Senatorial Zone has remained steadfast.


Mr Celestine Okanya is a devoted family man, blessed with an amazing wife and six children.


Today, at a critical moment requiring stability, competence and credibility, Mr Celestine Okanya stands as a unifying figure, a man without factional baggage, yet with the experience, maturity and institutional depth required to complete the mandate with dignity and deliver value to the people of Enugu North Senatorial Zone.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

HAPPENING NOW!! Female Corps Member Stripped Naked by Security Operatives [VIDEOS]

Image
  There has been widespread outrage following the emergence of a disturbing video showing security operatives assaulting a female member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Anambra State. The victim, identified as  Jennifer Edema Elohor , was seen in the viral video being flogged and stripped naked by gun-wielding men believed to be members of  Operation Udo Ga-Achi , also known as the  Agunechemba Vigilante Group . According to eyewitnesses, the operatives stormed a corps members’ lodge in Anambra on July 23, 2025, and accused the occupants of engaging in cybercrime activities, commonly referred to as “Yahoo Yahoo.” Despite presenting their NYSC identity cards, the corps members were subjected to inhuman treatment. A statement by the  Haven 360 Foundation , which shared the video on Facebook, strongly condemned the brutality. The group revealed that Elohor was beaten, stripped, and left bloodied while she and others were subjected to humiliating threa...
Read more

Three Enugu Commissioners, SPA Resign

Image
  Three Enugu Commissioners, SPA Resign in Rare Wave of Voluntary Exits In a rare and commendable wave of voluntary exits under Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah’s administration, three high-caliber appointees, including Hon. Pharm. Chika Ugwuoke, have gracefully bowed out of office, stirring discussions across Enugu’s political landscape. Hon. Ugwuoke, who served as Commissioner for Labour and Employment, became the third notable appointee to step aside, following the earlier resignation of Engr. Andreas Gebauer, the Austrian-born Special Assistant to the Governor on Water and Waste, and the recent exit of the Commissioner for Trade and Investment, herself the daughter of a former Enugu State Governor. It is worth recalling that Hon. Aka Eze Aka, the Commissioner for Information, resigned in 2023, leaving a vacancy that remains unfilled. In a political environment where many lobby tirelessly for such positions, these voluntary resignations by individuals of vision, capacity, and mea...
Read more

BREAKING NEWS!! Politically Motivated Falsehood on Certificate Forgery Suffers Setback as Class of 1985 Graduating Students Releases Original List

Image
...Classmates Warn Against Defamation, Vow to Take Action In Defence of Chief Uche Nnaji’s Academic Integrity The persistent and politically motivated allegation of certificate forgery against the Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji , has suffered a definitive setback, following the release of the original copy of the 1985 graduating list of the Department of Microbiology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) , which clearly bears his name — “Nnaji Uchenna G.” The authentic document, made available by members of the 1985 graduating class , contains the full list of students who completed their studies that year, alongside the names of the academic leaders who supervised their final academic session. It stands as incontrovertible evidence that Chief Nnaji duly graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka — a fact that completely dismantles the malicious forgery claims that have circulated in the public domain. Department of Microbiology U...
Read more