The West African Health Organisation (WAHO) organised a regional capacity-building workshop on Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) for stakeholders in Traditional Medicine from 1 to 3 July 2026 in Abuja, Nigeria.
The meeting brought together forty-two (42) representatives from twelve ECOWAS Member States, including traditional medicine practitioners, developers of medicines derived from the African pharmacopoeia, researchers, regulatory authorities, and officials from Ministries of Health.
The workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ technical expertise in order to improve the scientific quality, safety, and efficacy of African traditional medicine products, while supporting their gradual integration into national health systems. It also provided a platform to promote the harmonisation of methodological and regulatory approaches across the ECOWAS region.
Over the course of three days, participants received training on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), and Good Clinical Practice (GCP), all of which are recognised as essential standards for generating credible scientific evidence and developing traditional medicine products that meet international requirements for quality, safety, and efficacy.
Among the workshop’s key outcomes were the decision to establish a regional network of trainers responsible for disseminating these good practices to other stakeholders across Member States; strengthened collaboration between traditional medicine practitioners, conventional healthcare professionals, researchers, regulatory authorities, and academic institutions; and the adoption of recommendations to promote scientific research, protect traditional knowledge, and facilitate the free movement of traditional medicine products throughout the ECOWAS region.
Participants also undertook a technical visit to the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), a leading institution in pharmaceutical research and the development of medicinal plants, as well as to Zee’s Pharmacy, a pharmacy specialising in the promotion of traditional medicine products. These visits enabled participants to observe practical examples of the application of good practices in research, production, and quality control of traditional medicine products.
