Odili Nonso, a pharmacy graduate fresh out of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State faced a dilemma.
It was a classic case of opposites attracting. Nonso prided himself with outside the box thinking, relentlessly pursuing cutting-edge technologies and strategic growth opportunities. But he found himself inexplicably drawn to the outdated Nigerian pharmaceutical industry.
As a person who has never met a problem he couldn’t solve, Nonso was determined to shake things up and bring the industry kicking and screaming into the modern age.
So, he got to work.
While working at Alpha Pharmacy and Stores Ltd, he earned professional certifications in Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management, Ethical and Strategic Leadership, and Supply-chain and Logistics Management Intelligence Systems to prepare himself for the journey he was about to embark on.
But there was a glaring problem. Dreams don’t come cheap. They usually require a healthy dose of money, connections, or both to become a reality. And that was the harsh reality facing Odili Nonso.
He was a brilliant mind, renowned for his excellence in the workplace, but he had no cash and no connections. All he had was a burning desire to make a difference and a paltry sum of ₦150,000 ($200) to make it happen. But for Nonso, that was all he needed.
He founded Tridone Health, a wholesale pharmacy that quickly emerged as an underdog to watch in the Nigerian healthcare industry.
But despite the success, Nonso knew something was missing – the innovation, the technology, the revolution he craved.
Then, in April 2019, it happened. The missing link arrived in the form of Drug-IT Solutions. Nonso used profits earned from Tridone Health, without a dime of equity funding, to create a tech-driven pharmaceutical distribution company that would transform medication distribution in Nigeria forever.
Fast forward to 2023, and Drug-IT Solutions has generated over ₦750,000,000 $1,000,000 in revenue, proving once again that sometimes, all it takes is one brilliant mind to ignite a revolution.
But Odili Nonso wasn’t content with just one success story. In January 2023, he founded yet another company, InvestiPharm – Africa’s first pharma supply chain financial partner.
Leveraging technology in unprecedented ways, InvestiPharm provides much-needed financial credits to health businesses within the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Nonso’s latest venture is a game-changer, helping to ensure that even the poorest Nigerians have access to life-saving medications and that medication prices can remain immune to inflation.
But he’s not stopping there. The disruptor-in-chief has just revealed his latest game-changing project: IntelliPharm, a pharmacy management SaaS set to hit the scene in Q3 of 2023. His mission? To revolutionize community pharmacy by automating operations, freeing up pharmacists to really connect with patients through counseling.
Odili Nonso’s reputation precedes him – he’s often called the ‘Nigerian Elon Musk’, and for good reason. Like the famed entrepreneur and innovator, Nonso’s disruptive technologies are changing the game in the Nigerian healthcare industry.
But what’s truly remarkable is how Nonso achieved all of this. He didn’t have a single penny of equity funding. Instead, every bit of capital that went into Tridone Health, Drug-IT Solutions, and InvestiPharm came from Nonso’s own pocket, with support from friends and family, and an unwavering commitment to his vision.
Nonso’s story is nothing short of inspiring, a testament to the power of passion, determination, and creativity in the face of all odds.
Entrepreneurs everywhere can learn a thing or two from this remarkable individual, and his legacy will undoubtedly inspire generations to come.
