In the mid-seventies, pharmacists in the West African Region realized the need for them to come together to harmonize and develop pharmacy education, laws and practice in order to improve the quality of healthcare and the life of the people of the region. This led to the formation of the West African Pharmaceutical Federation (WAPF) in October 1976 in Monrovia, Liberia.

Pharmacists that were present at the inaugural meeting were drawn from The Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone. However, the francophone countries subsequently withdrew from the Federation.

In the process of realizing our vision, there was the need to establish a Postgraduate Professional Training Program leading to Fellowship award in order to meet the expanding roles of pharmacists worldwide and the changing needs of the society in pharmaceutical care.

In 1991, the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP), was established under the educational mandate of WAPF. The College was officially inaugurated in Accra, Ghana in February 1991.
The first batch of Fellows by examination was admitted into the College in February 1997. On November 2nd, 1999, the Assembly of Health Ministers (AHM) of the then West African Health Community (WAHC) approved the change of name of WAPF to WAPCP. With this, the WAPCP became the official agency representing the pharmacy profession in WAHC, which was subsequently replaced by the West African Health Organization (WAHO).