Momah Leads Push for African Drug Harmonization

Ugo Aliogo

Pharma regulatory expert, Pharm. Ogechukwu Blessing Momah, is leading a new initiative to harmonize pharmaceutical regulations across parts of Africa, bringing together stakeholders from Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and Kenya. Her efforts come at a time when multinational drug companies continue to face delays and costs linked to fragmented regulatory frameworks across the continent.
Momah, a regulatory affairs specialist and strategic advisor to Lyn-Edge Pharmaceuticals, is advocating for alignment of national protocols with World Health Organization Good Manufacturing Practice (WHO GMP) standards. In an interview, she said the goal was to ensure that regulatory oversight “enables safe and equitable access to essential drugs” while avoiding barriers to innovation.

Two major African pharmaceutical exporters have already adopted elements of her framework, leading to shorter product registration timelines and fewer overlapping inspections by regional authorities. According to data shared by stakeholders, some registration processes were reduced by more than 40 per cent.

The African Pharmaceutical Forum has described the approach as a “blueprint for regional stability,” while Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health has noted its contribution to broader drug harmonization discussions.

Observers expect that the work could influence revisions to the ECOWAS Medicines Regulatory Harmonization roadmap, which is due for review. Momah has also begun engaging smaller pharmaceutical firms as part of the coalition, with the aim of extending the model’s reach beyond large multinationals.