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HISTORY OF ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS OF PHARMACY IN AFRICA (ASPA)

Preamble

The idea of an Association of Schools of Pharmacy in Africa (ASPA) began at the 2016 FIP UNESCO UNITWIN programme [Box 1] meeting of the Centre for Excellence in Africa (CfEA) in Namibia. It all began with a simple question Prof. Ralph Altiere asked at dinner one night. That question was “is there an African association of pharmacy schools?” The answer, of course, was “No.” His response was ‘you need one’ and explained the benefits of such an association found in other regions of the world – Asia, Europe, South America, Canada, the US – that includes networking and collaborative innovation between schools. That discussion continued at breakfast the next day. It was decided to explore possibilities.

Box 1: About FIP-UNITWIN Programme

UNITWIN – (University Twinning and Networking)

Original programme of UNESCO to advance research, training & developing academic programme through building university networks and encouraging inter-university cooperation through the transfer of knowledge across borders.

Landmark MoU

Landmark MoU developed between FIP, UNESCO and University College London School of Pharmacy (UCL)

The 1st UNESCO programme with NGO involvement and 1st programme for healthcare professions and education.

FIP-UNESCO-UNITWIN Center for Excellence in Africa (CfEA)

Started activities by setting up the FIP-UNESCO-UNITWIN Center for Excellence in Africa (CfEA)

Areas of interest to the CfEA included:

  • communications and publications
  • capability training
  • quality in teaching and learning
  • competency frameworks
  • innovations in IT and ICT delivery
  • monitoring medicines use
  • various forms of networking and resources

Objectives of the FIP-UNESCO UNITWIN CfEA

Following extensive consultations, meetings and processes, the objective of the FIP-UNESCO UNITWIN CfEA were to:

Increase academic capacity

Establish needs-based education strategies

Create an enabling environment through advocacy

Work of the CfEA

The work of the CfEA culminated in the publication of several reports and publications including the FIP Pharmacy Education in Sub-Saharan Africa Report (2014)* and served as the blueprint for FIP’s current work in the other regions including a renewed push for a follow-up UNITWIN programme in Africa.

That idea was informally considered for the next two years until the June 2019 meeting of the FIP UNESCO UNITWIN CfEA in Mombasa Kenya. In addition to CfEA members, the meeting also was attended by members of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK), the Commonwealth Pharmacy Association (CPA) and the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP). Prof. Altiere presented the background for such an association (Association of Schools of Pharmacy in Africa, ASPA) to that point in time and noted similar associations around the world. It was then decided to take a vote on whether to continue to pursue an ASPA. The vote was unanimously in favor that propelled us forward.

At the FIP ABU Dhabi Congress in September 2019, Prof. Altiere presented the idea of ASPA as part of his presentation at the FIP UNESCO UNITWIN CfEA meeting and at the APF General Meeting during the Congress. In addition, there were representatives from major academic pharmacy associations from around the world to provide an overview of their associations. These included John Ressler, AACP Director of Academic Programs and Professional Development, USA, Lilian Azzopardi, EAFP President, Malta, Beom-Jin Lee, AASP President, South Korea, and Jayapal Reddy, IACP Director, India. Prof. Claire Anderson also spoke on the SPHEIR project in Kenya at the General meeting. The list of action items going forward included establishment of the ASPA.

A few months after the 2019 FIP Congress the COVID-19 pandemic hit and sidelined the ASPA idea for a few years in favor of other more immediate priorities. During that time, Prof. Altiere was selected to be the FIPEd Chairperson in 2020 and could no longer be the Director of the UNITWIN program. Thereafter, a number of online engagements and FIP-UNESCO UNITWIN Virtual Strategy Meetings held with the first one holding on the 20th of September towards the Virtual Launch of the FIP Pharmacy Education in sub-Saharan Africa Report scheduled for 20th October 2020 during the FIP Virtual Congress which held that year. In an email of 22nd October 2020, sent to APF exco in which other FIP Bureau members were mentioned after the launch, the CEO had this to say ‘As stated at the launch, FIP is keen on the renewal and expansion of the FIP-UNESCO UNITWIN programme across other regions of the world, while supporting the Center for Excellence in Africa in a sustainable way, through an Africa-wide association of pharmacy schools. Your leadership and commitment will be critical in leading the taskforce to set up the African wide association of pharmacy schools. We will count on you to support other Centres for Excellence in other regions of the world, as African Centre has demonstrated a successful model to FIP and other countries around the world.’

A virtual FIP-UNESCO UNITWIN Workshop for Africa was planned to hold on 29 October 2021 to discuss the setting up of the association as well as inaugurating a taskforce that will be leading the charge for this establishment with emails with title ‘Message from FIP and APF Presidents- Invitation to join FIP UNITWIN Regional Workshops’ sent to colleagues across the continent. I was approached to serve as the Chairman of the taskforce and another set of meetings held to draw up representative task force members to ensure that the continent is well represented in terms of location, language and spread. Emails were sent out to identified colleagues around the region and the inaugural meeting of the taskforce held in 19th April 2022 though responses were still being expected from some nominated colleagues. At different times, FIP Bureau members copied in the emails were FIP President, Dominic Jordan, APF Liaisons Jacqueline Surugue and later Lars Ake Soderland and FIP CEO Catherine Duggan.

Nilhan Uzman and Alison Etukakpan working with Prof. Ralph Altiere were instrumental in identifying possible members for the task force through AIM, Academic Pharmacists and heads of national Pharmaceutical Associations within the continent.

Dr. Arinola Joda – Deputy General Secretary/Editor-in-Chief, APF (Chairman, Nigeria)

West Africa – Cape Verde (Portuguese), Ghana (English) and Nigeria (English) Ghana – Dr. Mariam El Boakye-Gyasi (KNUST, Accra)
Nigeria – Prof. Cyril Usifoh (University of Benin). Prof. Usifoh was later replaced by Prof. Oluwatoyin Odeku (University of Ibadan) when he became the PSN President
Cape Verde – Dr. Dilson Ferreira (Universidade Jean Piaget de Cabo Verde)
Central Africa – Congo Brazzaville and Cameroon (French) Rep. of Congo – José Lam∞
Cameroon – Dr. Gisèle Etamè (University of Doula) Cameroon –
Franck Nana∞ (CNOPC)

East Africa – Kenya (English) and Uganda (English)
Kenya – Dr. Lincoln Munyendo (AIM) Dean United States International university- Africa
Dr. Mike East Mungoma, Dean of the School of Pharmacy at Mount Kenya University (MKU) Uganda – Prof. Pakoyo F. Kamba* (Makerere University)
Uganda – Dr. Balikuna Sulah∞ (Makerere University)

South Africa – Mozambique (Portuguese), Zambia (English) and South Africa (English) Mozambique – Dr. Saquina Rugunate (Instituto Superior de Ciências e Tecnologia de Moçambique)
Zambia – Dr. Chiluba Mwila (University of Zambia)
South Africa – Prof. Yahya Choonara (University of Witwatersrand)

North Africa

Algeria (Arabic)
and Morocco (Arabic)

No responses from the initial messages sent to FIP constutient members from the two countries at the onset

*Was at the inaugural meeting of the task force but did not really function*

∞ Nominated but did not show up

Between April and August 2022, the task force met 5 times (with APF exco as observers), set up three committees and had the following objectives met:

1.   The task force deliberated and agreed on proposed name, mission, vision, membership categories, dues, and other relevant membership issues and other governance structure issues for the proposed Association. Find the report attached as Appendix I.

a.   The task force agreed that there was a need to ensure legal standing for the Association and concluded that the secretariat of this legal entity should be domiciled within the Secretariat of the African Pharmaceutical Forum (APF) in Nigeria.

b.   The governance information created was utilized in submitting application for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Nigeria to provide this legal standing through a Consultant engaged in this line of work.

c.   Members of the task force across the continent were identified to serve as members of the Board of Trustees for the application. These were:

i.   Dr. Prosper Hiag – APF President (Cameroon)

ii.   Prof. Cyril Usifoh – Nigeria

iii.   Prof. Yahya Choonara – South Africa

iv.   Dr. Michael Mungoma – Kenya

v.   Dr. Saquina Rugunate – Mozambique

vi.   Dr. Arinola Joda (Nigeria)

2.   Membership Committee (saddled with the task of elucidating benefits that will accrue to members who join the Association in whatever category) made up of Dr. Michael Mungoma, Dr Chiluba Mwila and Dr Mariam El Boakye-Gyasi, submitted its report on proposed membership, benefits. Find the report attached as Appendix II.

3.   Mobilization Committee (saddled with the task of producing a blueprint to be followed to mobilize and engage Schools of Pharmacy as well as individual academic staff to join the Association) with Prof. Yahya Choonara, Prof. Oluwatoyin Odeku and Dr. Lincoln Munyendo as members, submitted its report on how to mobilize members for the association. Find the report attached as Appendix III.

4.   Communication Committee (saddled with the task of producing a communication content and materials to be used in publicizing the Association to potential members across the continent) with Prof. Pakayo Kamba, Dr. Saquina Rugunate and Arinola Joda as members, submitted its report on developing clear messages around four main themes:

“Who we are”, “what we want (objectives)”, “why join (advantages)”, “how to join”. Find the doxuments attached as Appendix IV – VII.

Challenges and Response

Further proceedings were stalled pending the approval of the legal name for the entity by the CAC. Communication, mobilization and secretariat materials required the approved name for production and dissemination and so meetings stopped. The main issue centered around the CAC’s fear that the registration for such as Association should start with Associations of Schools in Nigeria and other African countries first and then those independent Associations then coming together to form a super structure for Africa. Various proofs that such a process was not necessary to form the Association was produced including letters of support from Deans of different schools of Pharmacy within and outside Nigeria, National Identification documents including international passports and pharmacy certification for the selected Board of Trustees members and the guidance information hitherto created by the task force were not convincing enough.

Challenges associated with approval of the proposed name in Nigeria necessitated an emergency meeting of the task force and approval of APF Exco late in 2023 to consider having the registration done elsewhere contrary to what was initially agreed by the task force. Dr. Hiag and Dr. Mouliom (APF President and General Secretary respectively at the time) were confident the registration would be accomplished with minimal cost and effort in Cameroon, and applicable documentation and information were transmitted to them to initiate the process. There was real time progress for the application and inspection of available facilities in Cameroon and it was hoped that the process would be completed prior to the Congress in Cape Town further providing an additional celebration for the African Congress. However, the documentation was stalled at the final stage of processing for over a year due to political reasons.

New Thrust

The push for the registration in Nigeria was renewed in March 2025 through another consultant. On 15th August 2025, the certificate of registration of the Association was approved and this good news was shared at the Congress in Copenhagen. About two months after the 2025 Congress in Copenhagen, official assent was given for the registration of ASPA in Cameroon giving the Association legal standing in an Anglophone as well as a Francophone country.

Way Forward From Here

The Bureau and Council of FIP graciously acceded to our request that ASPA should operate as an independent organization like other Associations of Schools of Pharmacy around the world. This is important for it to serve all pharmacy programmes across the continent whether the National Pharmaceutical Association of that country is a member organization of FIP or not. It will therefore mean that ASPA will operate possibly as an Associate Association of FIP.