405th INAUGURAL LECTURE AT OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY ILE-IFE OSUN STATE NIGERIA

The 405th Inaugural Lecture of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, was held on Tuesday, 9th September 2025, at Oduduwa Hall. The lecture was delivered by Professor Margaret Olubunmi Afolabi, the first Professor of Pharmacy Administration in West Africa. The title of her lecture was “Beyond counting, pouring and sticking: managing pharmacy operations for quality service.” In her lecture, Prof. Afolabi shared her career journey in academics and how she rose to become a pioneer in her field. She explained how pharmacy practice has changed over the years, highlighting the wider roles pharmacists now play in the health system. She introduced the discipline of pharmacy administration and spoke on her research works, which cover: Managing hospital pharmacy operations Using technology to improve pharmacy services The role of pharmaceutical services in public health Improving service quality in community pharmacies Prof. Afolabi also discussed how pharmacists view their work systems in hospitals. She presented her research on developing tools to measure patient satisfaction with pharmaceutical services in Nigerian hospitals. She further spoke about her achievements at symposiums, conferences, and workshops, as well as the awards she has received for her contributions to the profession. In closing, she gave thanks and acknowledged the presence of her husband, children and their spouses, university board officers, pharmacists, students, and other invited guests.