Accelerate Africa: AA3 Fireside Chat with Joke Bakare

Our fireside chat is an important feature of our accelerator program, featuring industry titans, venture capitalists, and inspiring founders who have all had inspiring journeys of impact on our ecosystem. Today, we are joined by the Founder & Managing Director of Medplus, moderated by the COO of Accelerate Africa, V. Chinyere Inya. In 1993, Pharmacist Joke Bakare founded Medplus, a pharmacy-led health and beauty retail chain. She pioneered the chain pharmacy concept in Nigeria, and has built an organisation patronised for genuine and trustworthy products, while providing a superior service experience.Today, Medplus is credited as one of the most innovative sources of health and beauty products, with 42 outlets nationwide. A registered pharmacist, with an eye for product and trends, Joke brings extensive experience in retail operations and management and oversees all aspects of the company’s business, including strategic direction and initiatives. The Medplus success story is a testament to her intuition and extraordinary entrepreneurial skills. Today, Medplus is not just a drug dispensing retail store but a total wellness partner. Pharmacist Bakare is committed to revolutionising the healthcare sector and there is no wavering in her tenacious commitment to delivering holistic healthcare to consumers and Nigerians. Accelerate Africa is Future Africa's early stage, pre-seed accelerator that was launched by Future Africa as a pre-accelerator in 2023 and full accelerator in 2024. We host a series of fireside chats, workshops, panels, and advisor match ups that support founders on their journey to becoming a global business.