The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has called for harmonised health training standards across ECOWAS member states to strengthen regional integration and improve healthcare delivery.

Pate made the call in Abuja on Monday at the Integration Meeting of Accredited West African Colleges, Training Institutions and Regulatory Bodies in the ECOWAS region.

Represented by Dr Dakum Londji, Nigeria’s Liaison Officer to WAHO/African Union at the ministry, he said diseases does not respect national borders, stressing that solutions, knowledge and health professionals must equally move freely across the region.

He noted that strong healthcare systems required a competent workforce, supported by quality and harmonised education and training standards across West Africa.

The minister observed that differences in curricula, training standards and accreditation processes had limited professional mobility, weakened quality and restricted health workers’ opportunities to practise across the region.

He said the meeting provided an opportunity to address the challenges through common standards of excellence while respecting the national contexts of ECOWAS member states.

He identified harmonisation of curricula and standards, mutual recognition of qualifications and professional mobility, as well as quality assurance and accountability as key priorities.

“Member states must agree on core competencies, minimum training standards and common accreditation criteria for health training colleges and educational institutions.

“Mutual recognition of qualifications will enable doctors, midwives and other health professionals trained in one ECOWAS country to practise confidently and credibly across the region,” he said.

Pate also called for stronger collaboration among regulatory bodies to promote data sharing, enforce professional ethics and ensure graduates were competent, compassionate and fit for practice.

He said the initiative aligned with Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda and ongoing health sector reforms, which focused on strengthening training institutions, expanding accreditation and improving professional regulation.

He added that Nigeria was also promoting digital learning and innovation to strengthen health professional education and improve the quality of healthcare delivery.

He described regional integration as a necessity rather than an option, urging stakeholders to adopt practical decisions and develop a clear roadmap with timelines for implementation.

The minister commended WAHO, the ECOWAS commission, regulatory bodies, training institutions and development partners for their contributions to strengthening health professional education across the region.

He expressed optimism that the deliberations would produce actionable decisions to advance harmonisation and regional cooperation.(NAN)

Edited by Deborah Coker