He received his Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from University of Ife Nigeria in 1979 and a Master of Science degree in Pharmacology in 1982. He worked at various times as a hospital pharmacist in Queen Elizabeth Specialist Hospital Umuahia, Bauchi Specialist Hospital Bauchi and Isuikwuato General Hospital, all in Nigeria.

 

In 1982, he took up appointment as a Research Fellow in the Drug Research and Production Unit of the University of Ife School of Pharmacy. He was also an adjunct Professor of Pharmacology in the Department of Pharmacology in the same University. He obtained his Ph.D in 1988. In 1990 he was appointed a Lecturer in the Department of Pharmacology in the College of Medicine, University of Port-Harcourt, a position he held for 12 years before joining Howard University Washington DC as a Research Fellow in 2003.

 

Dr Ononiwu did three postdoctoral fellowships in Pharmacokinetics, Neuropharmacology and Cancer Pharmacology at Howard University between 2003 and 2006. He is a co-author of the book “Herbal Medicinal Products used for HIV/AIDS”.

 

Currently he teaches Pharmacology in the Pharmacy Department of Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina USA and conducts research in the area of anticancer drug discovery and development. Beyond his academic accomplishments, Dr. Ononiwu has been very active in the service of God since he gave his life to the Lord in 1972. He has been a children Sunday school teacher from 1972 to the present and together with his wife Vickie, developed the famous Happiness Club (a talent discovery and development activity program for boys and girls) at the University of Ife.

 

He also established Happiness Club and Young Talents Club at the University of Port-Harcourt Nigeria and Kingdom Heirs (an activity group modeled after Happiness Club) in Glendale Maryland USA. He was the President of Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International, Industrial Chapter Port-Harcourt for three years and later became a Field representative of the fellowship in charge of four other chapters.

 

He was the founding president of Ebony Productions Port-Harcourt Nigeria, producers of the annual Easter Christian concert called Bubble. Dr. Ononiwu is an accomplished composer with over 200 songs and 2 albums to his credit. He is also a playwright and a poet. He is a speaker on marriage issues at conferences and seminars and the author of the Christian marriage book “Jewels for My Dear wife”.

 

He is married to Vickie and they are blessed with five children: Chiagozie (the twelve-year old author of “Fun for Five”) Chibuzo, Chidiuto and the twins Chiemika and Chiedozie.