‘Brand Colossus’ Tama Wins 2025 Young Pharmacist of the Year Award
Pharm. Abdullahi Tama Haruna, widely known as “The Brand Colossus” Tama, has emerged winner of the 2025 Pharmanews Young Pharmacist of the Year Award after a tightly contested nationwide selection process.
Haruna polled 15,627 votes in the final online ballot conducted in December 2025, defeating Pharm. Uforo Joseph Obobo, who secured 13,064 votes. Pharm. Unique Chukwu placed second runner-up with 9,400 votes, while Pharm. Yusuf Babatunde garnered 272 votes.
The award ceremony was held on February 19, 2026, at the Lagos office of Pharmanews Limited. The annual recognition comes with a plaque and a cash prize of ₦150,000 and celebrates young pharmacists who demonstrate innovation, leadership and measurable impact in healthcare practice.
Organisers disclosed that the selection process began with nationwide peer nominations, allowing pharmacists to recommend colleagues who distinguished themselves through professional excellence, advocacy and impactful contributions to pharmacy practice.
After rigorous screening, shortlisted nominees advanced to a public voting stage, where Haruna ultimately clinched the top spot.
Online Editor of Pharmanews, Mrs. Temitope Obayendo, described the award, instituted in 2018, as one of the organisation’s flagship initiatives aimed at encouraging young pharmacists who are leveraging their knowledge and skills to create meaningful social impact.
She noted that background assessments showed the 2025 winner distinguished himself not only in pharmaceutical practice but also as a social entrepreneur and founder of Hatma Brandtech Limited. Haruna is also affiliated with The Brand Colossus platform, where he currently serves as Graphics Designer and doubles as a Content Creator, combining healthcare advocacy with digital storytelling and branding.
Obayendo added that integrity remains central to the award’s credibility, stressing that emergence through a transparent public voting system reflects both competence and public trust.
Speaking at the ceremony, Executive Director of Pharmanews Limited, Mr. Dozie Ifeanyi Atueyi, urged young pharmacists to pursue careers rooted in service, legacy and long-term societal value.
Drawing inspiration from the legacy of his late father and Pharmanews founder, Pharm. (Sir) Ifeanyi Atueyi, he recounted how the publication began in 1979 from a modest family space converted into a production hub for its first edition. What started as a small initiative, he said, has grown into a publication that has sustained uninterrupted monthly circulation for 47 years, a rare milestone in Nigeria’s publishing industry.
“At the time it started, even the person who conceived the idea may not have imagined how far it would go,” he said, noting that while many publications from that era have faded, Pharmanews continues to expand its influence across West Africa’s healthcare sector.
He identified three enduring pillars of the founder’s legacy: impact, dedication to mentoring the next generation, and continuity beyond one’s lifetime. According to him, many leaders currently heading pharmaceutical companies first encountered Pharmanews during their student years.
“The greatest legacy is not what happens while a person is alive, but what continues after the person is gone,” Atueyi said, adding that initiatives such as the Young Pharmacist Award exemplify that enduring vision.
In his acceptance remarks, Haruna expressed gratitude to the management of Pharmanews Limited, describing the award as both an honour and a call to greater responsibility.
A 2023 graduate of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, he said his passion for addressing drug therapy problems and extending healthcare education beyond conventional settings led him to establish Hatma Brandtech Limited.
He disclosed that in 2025 alone, he conducted more than 10 medical outreach programmes focused on medication safety and community health awareness, alongside over 15 online webinars on poisoning prevention and emergency response.
Haruna credited a previous award recipient, Pharm. Hashidu Danjuma Aminu, as a source of inspiration, pledging to serve as a worthy ambassador of Pharmanews.
“This award is beyond recognition for me; it is an inspiration to do better and make greater impact,” he said.
In his closing remarks, Atueyi commended Haruna’s commitment to medical missions, describing the scale of his outreach efforts as evidence of genuine dedication to service.
“This award is an induction into collaboration. We are partners for life,” he said.
With his emergence as the 2025 laureate, Haruna joins a distinguished league of young pharmacists whose work continues to shape the future of pharmacy practice in Nigeria.
Leave A Comment