When Nigeria’s much distinguished former Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dora Akunyili rose up against the endemic corruption at the heart of Nigeria’s healthcare system, our expectations of ourselves climbed up the ethics and morality scale.
That something so beautiful could come out of us made us realise that there is a strength within us that we never knew existed. So powerful are we, as represented by Dora, that we could pick up dust and mould it into castles in record time. It’s been a decade since we’ve heard Dora speak, but she still does. Because Dora happened to the depths and the very souls of Nigeria, and such impacts speak unmuffled into eternity. Before Dora happened, we thought we were done for. That we were soiled down to our very DNA. But Dora happened and we realised that we are builders, not destroyers. We realised, by watching Dora closely, that we are not what we seem to be. Dora showed up and we showed up with her. Dora was not a mere observer; she was an architect of transformation, as many Nigerians are becoming.
Dora continues to speak, not through the voices of our leaders, for that was never her style. She speaks in the hearts, minds and actions of the many Nigerians who continue to stand up to those leaders she fought with all her might. Living and dead, Dora’s voice can be heard at the Lekki Gate as young people kept vigil against oppression until death happened over and over and it was no more an option. Dora’s voice spoke recently when Nigerians turned out massively to vote. The outcome of the election was not her voice. But the actions of many Nigerians since the election sound like Doras’. For Dora’s actions and voice were never about shortcuts; the quick, easy road or the popular path. Her legacy is one of uncompromising integrity and relentless truth-telling until the corrupt establishment is considerably weakened.
Dora’s influence stretches beyond the shores of Nigeria. Dora’s voice can be heard in faraway diaspora, where Nigerians are excelling in every measurable and non-measurable index. From science to technology, business to the arts and beyond, Nigerians, inspired by Dora’s fierce integrity and unwavering commitment to the nation’s potential, continue to break barriers and prove Nigeria’s character and brilliance.
A voice against fake drugs and fake leaders
Today, the voices of Nigerians rise against fake leaders, as loud as Dora’s voice against fake drugs. Like many Nigerians today are beginning to grasp, Dora understood that the fight against fake drugs was not just about regulating markets or punishing offenders; it was a matter of life and death. Through the NAFDAC, she used every platform available to raise her voice against the dangers of fake drugs and to advocate for stronger regulations. She spearheaded the introduction of advanced drug-tracking technologies and supported the creation of a system that allowed Nigerian consumers to check the authenticity of their medications.
A voice of freedom of speech
In 2008, when she was appointed the Minister of Information and Communications, many wondered what a pharmacist had to do with communication. But the truth is interdisciplinary and is spoken at every opportunity presented. Dora’s voice continued to speak. Her time in office became a battleground where she took on some of the deepest, most entrenched issues facing Nigeria. One of her most public battles was against media censorship and corruption in the country’s media landscape. At a time when many would have been content to toe the line, Dora spoke fiercely about press freedom. She fought to create an environment where the Nigerian media could operate without government interference, a fight that is still relevant today. Under her leadership, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) took steps to ensure more freedom for independent media outlets, establishing a legal framework that protected journalists from arbitrary arrest and government pressure.
A fight that never ends
Dora knew that her voice would speak forever. She once famously said that, “A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.” Today, tomorrow and forever, Dora’s impact remains embedded in the nation’s consciousness, even when times seem bleak. When corruption runs rampant, and justice seems far off, we remember Dora. She reminds us that no amount of darkness can extinguish the flame of our collective resilience. Dora’s legacy is one of hope and truth, the conviction that, despite our flaws, Nigeria holds boundless potential. She challenged us to see ourselves not as victims of circumstance but as agents of change. Her strength in life and her continued influence in death have sparked a generation of Nigerians who dare to dream again.
In a speech she gave shortly before she passed, Dora is quoted as saying, “The founding fathers of Nigeria had a dream of building a united, prosperous, and developed nation-state where social justice reigns. We also have to continue to dream because once we stop dreaming, life is gone.” In death, therefore, Dora has become a founding mother in Nigeria. Every time we rise to challenge the status quo, every time we speak truth to power, Dora speaks with us. In that way, she will never truly be gone. Dora is not just a name; she is a force, a movement, a symbol of what is possible when we refuse to settle for less than we deserve. Through her, we learned that our voices matter, that our actions have consequences, and that the future of Nigeria is in our hands. And so, ten years later, Dora continues to speak, in ways that words alone never could.
