Charles Okechukwu Esimone

Charles Okechukwu Esimone (born 29 December 1970) is a Nigerian professor of biopharmaceutics and pharmaceutical biotechnology who served as the vice-chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria from 2019 to 2024. He is the first professor of pharmaceutical microbiology in South-Eastern Nigeria.

Early life and education Esimone was born on 29 December 1970 in Tiko, Cameroon. He earned a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Nigeria Nsukka in 1995, followed by postgraduate studies in pharmaceutical microbiology and pharmaceutics, completing a PhD in 2002.

Professional career Esimone started his career as internee pharmacist and then became a laboratory instructor, all in the Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Nigeria Nsukka. He became a professor of biopharmaceutics and pharmaceutical microbiology at the age of 37 years and was the pioneer Dean, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Agulu Campus of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. He also served two terms of 2 years each as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

He is a researcher with well over 100 publications and in May 2019 was ranked 18th on the list of 28 Most Published Scholars in Nigeria. Prof. Esimone was also the Director of Confucius Institute of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. On the 14 of May 2019 he was elected the new Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

His team became the first to demonstrate the presence of ESBL-producing bacteria harboring the CTXM-15 gene, which confers resistance to third-generation cephalosporins in Nigeria. Additionally, they were the first to identify MBL-producing bacteria containing the blaIMP-1 and blaVIM-1 genes within poultry and abattoirs in southeastern Nigeria. They also reported the increasing frequency of MBL-producing Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, and Escherichia species in the country. Member of the American Society for Cell biology Member of many other professional bodies including, Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria; West African Society for Pharmacology, Nigeria; Society for Medicinal Plant Research, Germany; Pan African Medical Mycology Society, South Africa; International Society for Anti-infective Pharmacology; Materials Society of Nigeria; and, Nigerian Society of Forensic Scientists (Pioneer member of Board of Directors) They include:

The Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship to Germany (2003–2005) The ANDI Bright Contest Award for the Best African Innovative Researcher, South Africa (2009) CV Raman Senior Fellowship, India (2013) Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science (2017) Pioneer national president of the Nanomedicine Society of Nigeria Recipient of various national and international grants and a reviewer to several national and international journals. and 7,463 times according to the Google Scholar index. Here are a select few:

Esimone, Charles, MI Okeke, CU Iroegbu, EN Eze, AS Okoli, "Evaluation of extracts of the root of Landolphia owerrience for antibacterial activity", Journal of ethnopharmacology 78 (2-3), 119-127 Esimone, Charles, KF Chah, CA Eze, CE Emuelosi, "Antibacterial and wound healing properties of methanolic extracts of some Nigerian medicinal plants", Journal of ethnopharmacology 104 (1-2), 164-167 Esimone, Charles, CS Nworu, CL Jackson, "Cutaneous wound healing activity of a herbal ointment containing the leaf extract of Jatropha curcas L.(Euphorbiaceae)", International Journal of Applied Research in Natural Products 1 (4), 1-4 Esimone, Charles, IR Iroha, EC Ibezim, CO Okeh, EM Okpana, "In vitro evaluation of the interaction between tea extracts and penicillin G against Staphylococcus aureus", African Journal of Biotechnology 5 (11) Esimone, Charles, PA Ekwealor, MC Ugwu, I Ezeobi, G Amalukwe, BC Ugwu, U Okezie et al., "Antimicrobial evaluation of bacterial isolates from urine specimen of patients with complaints of urinary tract infections in Awka, Nigeria", International journal of microbiology 2016 (1), 9740273

Personal life Esimone is married to Dr. Celestina Chinyere Esimone who is an Associate Professor of Music. They have five children: a son, and a set of quadruplets (two boys and two girls).