Kenneth Onu | Head/Coordinator - African Union Smart Safety Surveillance Programme
African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD)

Kenneth Onu is the Head/Coordinator of the African Union Smart Safety Surveillance (AU-3S) Programme at the African Union Development Agency – NEPAD based in Midrand Johannesburg, South Africa since 1st October 2024. Kenneth is responsible for the day-to-day management of the AU-3S programme which includes overall coordination and management of the AU-3S project aimed at strengthening Vigilance (VL) regulatory functions of National Pharmacovigilance Centres in 21 African NRAs - Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe. He is also responsible for strategic engagements, partnerships and collaboration including resource mobilization, project management and budgetary oversight and implementation. In his previous role within the programme from 01 August 2023 - 30 September 2024, Kenneth was responsible for developing and implementing therapeutics strategies for the AU-3S programme as workstream lead focusing on new and innovative medical products in priority disease areas with proof of concept using cross-country adverse event following immunization reports associated with Covid-19 antivirals. He also oversaw the development and implementation of a policy framework and governance structure for therapeutics safety surveillance as the AU-3S programme expanded to a continental safety monitoring platform for Africa. In addition, he also coordinated joint safety reviews and signal management for therapeutic products and facilitated the operationalization of the African Union Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (AU-PRAC). Prior to joining AUDA-NEPAD, he worked across various regulatory functions with focus on quality and safety of medical products at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Nigeria from March 2012 to July 2023. Professional highlights include the introduction of the Med Safety App into Nigeria stimulating increase in reporting rates of adverse events and expansion of the Global Fund portfolio to address critical gaps in Pharmacovigilance and product supply chain. Prior to his experience in NAFDAC, he had brief stints in the pharmaceutical industry with AstraZeneca Plc Nigeria (January 2010 - February 2012), GlaxoSmithKline Research & Development at Ware Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom (2009-2010) and Boots Pharmaceuticals Nottingham, United Kindom (2007-2008). He holds a Master of Science degree (with distinction) in Pharmaceutical Analysis from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow United Kingdom (2008) and a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Benin, Nigeria (2005). He has attended several local and international courses and training programmes in medical product regulation including Pharmacovigilance.