The Regulatory Affairs Professionals Network (RAPNET) is set to host the 3rd African Regulatory, Quality, and Safety Conference from June 22nd to 24th, 2026, at the British Council, Accra, Ghana.
The continental conference is expected to bring together regulators, policymakers, industry leaders, academia, manufacturers, quality assurance professionals, safety experts, importers, exporters, and compliance stakeholders from across Africa to discuss emerging regulatory, quality, and safety issues affecting key sectors of the economy.
The conference will focus on areas including food regulation, cosmetics and beauty products, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, household chemicals, consumer product safety, standards compliance, quality management systems, cross-border trade, and regulatory harmonisation across Africa.
Under the theme “Advancing Regulatory, Quality and Safety Frameworks in Africa: Collaborating for a Safer and Healthier Future,” the event aims to promote stronger collaboration among regulators, industry, and academia, while supporting Africa’s growing focus on public health protection, industrialisation, trade facilitation, and consumer safety.
The Special Guest of Honour for the official opening ceremony is expected to be Hon. Julius Debrah, Chief of Staff of the Republic of Ghana.
According to the organisers, the conference comes at a time when African countries are increasingly strengthening regulatory systems to improve product quality, enhance consumer confidence, facilitate exports, and support the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The three-day event will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, technical sessions, exhibitions, networking opportunities, and practical discussions on compliance challenges facing businesses operating within African markets.
Expected participants include representatives from regulatory authorities, manufacturing companies, healthcare institutions, research institutions, universities, trade associations, development organisations, and professional bodies across the continent.
Some of the expected speakers and resource persons include Prof. Alex Dodoo, Senior Advisor to the Director-General of the African Medicines Agency (AMA), former President of the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO), and former Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority; Prof. Charles Tortoe, Director of the CSIR-Food Research Institute;
George Sabblah, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) Ghana; Dr. Aina Stephen Olugbenga, Director at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria;
Yunusa Mohammed, Director at the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON); Percy Sibanda from South Africa; representatives from the AfCFTA Secretariat; GEPA, Ghana Revenue-Customs Division and several industry experts from across Africa.
Speaking ahead of the conference, Chairman and Convener of RAPNET, Dennis E. Dorbu-Amedzeame, noted that regulatory compliance, quality assurance, and product safety are becoming increasingly critical to Africa’s economic growth, international competitiveness, and public health systems.
He emphasised the need for stronger dialogue and collaboration among African stakeholders to address evolving regulatory requirements, emerging safety concerns, counterfeit products, and barriers affecting intra-African trade.
The conference is also expected to create opportunities for students and young professionals to interact with experienced regulators and industry experts while exposing them to career opportunities within regulatory affairs, quality management, and safety systems.
Registration for the conference is currently ongoing through RAPNET’s official website, www.rapn.net.
