The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has announced the appointment of Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Manso Opuni as its new acting Chief Executive Officer, with effect from today, Monday, 14th July 2025.

According to a Facebook post shared by the FDA, Professor Opuni, who previously served as Chairman of the FDA’s Board, succeeds Dr Delese Darko, who led the Authority from 2017 until her recent elevation to the role of Director-General at the Africa Medicines Agency (AMA).

The FDA expressed its appreciation for Dr Darko’s years of dedicated service, during which the Authority made significant strides in regulatory oversight, public safety, and international collaboration.

Her new appointment to the AMA is seen as a testament to her impact and leadership in the health regulatory space.

In welcoming Prof Opuni to his new role, the Authority extended its warmest congratulations and voiced confidence in his capacity to advance the FDA’s mission of protecting public health and ensuring the safety, quality, and efficacy of regulated products across Ghana.

Background

Dr Kwabena Frimpong-Manso Opuni studied pharmacy and subsequently obtained his MSc. Pharmaceutical Analysis & Quality Control degree from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology in 2005.

He is a registered pharmacist since 2003, and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) since 2008. In 2016, he received his PhD from University of Rostock, Germany, and was awarded a three-month postdoctoral fellowship in 2019 at the same University.

He is a DAAD Scholar. During his PhD studies, he obtained the prestigious Hermes grant from University of Rostock for a three-month stay at University of Washington, USA.

He joined the Food and Drugs Authority in 2006 and moved to the School of Pharmacy, University of Ghana, in 2010. He is currently an Associate Professor in Pharmaceutical Chemistry with the School of Pharmacy, University of Ghana.

He serves on GTEC Panels to assess undergraduate and graduate programmes in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences for accreditation and re-accreditation.

He is also an External Examiner and Assessor in pharmaceutical chemistry for some tertiary institutions in Ghana.

He has published several articles, and book chapters in peer-reviewed journals and internationally recognized publishing houses. He has co-authored a book in pharmacoproteomics.