As healthcare systems become increasingly dependent on accurate, timely and quality-assured laboratory diagnosis, effective leadership and management have emerged as critical components of a functional medical laboratory service. Beyond technical expertise and modern equipment, laboratories require competent professionals who can manage human resources, resolve workplace challenges, mobilise resources and develop strategic plans capable of sustaining quality service delivery.
Against this backdrop, the West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science (WAPCMLS), Nigeria Chapter, has commenced efforts to strengthen leadership and management capacity among senior medical laboratory scientists, with a focus on improving laboratory services and healthcare delivery across the country.
The College organised the Foundations of Laboratory Leadership and Management (FLLM) Workshop for top management-level medical laboratory scientists in the North Central region on Friday, August 28, 2026, at the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) House, Abuja.
The workshop brought together senior laboratory professionals for intensive sessions on leadership, management, human-resource development, communication, conflict resolution, strategic planning, team management and resource utilisation.
Speaking at the event, the Coordinator and Lead Facilitator, Air Commodore Chukwuma Ohanele (PhD), emphasised the need for laboratory professionals to develop strong leadership and management competencies alongside their technical expertise.
Ohanele said effective laboratory management was critical to ensuring that diagnostic services remained efficient, reliable and responsive to the needs of patients and the broader healthcare system.
“Laboratory professionals must not only be technically competent; they must also possess the leadership and management skills required to build effective teams, manage resources and drive sustainable improvements,” he said.
He stressed the importance of collaboration at different levels, particularly intra-professional, inter-professional and inter-sectoral partnerships, noting that complex healthcare challenges could not be effectively addressed in isolation.
According to him, “The future of laboratory medicine depends not only on technology and technical competence, but also on our ability to collaborate, communicate and lead effectively across professional and institutional boundaries.”
The facilitator also highlighted emotional intelligence as an essential attribute for effective leadership, particularly in managing workplace relationships, resolving conflicts and motivating personnel.
He further drew attention to the gender dimension of leadership, urging participants to promote inclusive leadership practices that recognise and harness the diverse strengths of members of their teams.
Also speaking, Dr Aminu Suleiman underscored the importance of developing the capacity to function effectively as both a leader and a manager.
Suleiman explained that while leadership provides direction and inspires people towards a common goal, effective management ensures that available human and material resources are properly coordinated to achieve organisational objectives.
“A good laboratory leader must understand people, understand resources and understand the direction in which the organisation is going. Leadership without effective management cannot deliver the desired results,” he said.
He also highlighted strategic planning as a critical tool for laboratory managers, stressing that institutions needed clear priorities, measurable objectives and effective resource-allocation strategies to achieve sustainable growth.
Similarly, Mr Livinus Ibiang focused on communication and conflict resolution, describing effective communication as a cornerstone of productive workplace relationships.
Ibiang said laboratory managers must be equipped to identify the causes of workplace conflicts, communicate clearly and employ appropriate mechanisms to resolve disagreements before they undermine teamwork and service delivery.
“Where communication fails, misunderstandings grow; where conflicts are not properly managed, productivity suffers. Effective leaders must therefore learn how to communicate, listen and resolve conflicts constructively,” he said.
He also emphasised the importance of advocacy and lobbying in improving laboratory services, particularly in securing policy attention, institutional support and resources for the sector.
The workshop was structured around major areas including management and leadership, human resources and motivation, communication and conflict resolution, team management and problem-solving, resource management and strategic planning.
The organisers said the programme was aimed at enabling participants to understand how organisational structures influence laboratory management and to apply management and leadership principles in their respective workplaces.
Participants were also expected to acquire practical skills in human-resource and team management, financial-resource management, decision-making, problem-solving and strategic planning.
The core curriculum covered organisational structure and management, the complementary roles of leaders and managers, effective utilisation of human resources, communication and conflict resolution, and leading successful teams.
A major component of the programme is the post-workshop follow-up, which will involve projects and additional training over a three-to-six-month period to ensure that participants translate lessons from the programme into practical improvements in their laboratories.
Proposed follow-up projects include strategic and operational planning, development of national quality plans and facilitation of further FLLM training, as well as continued communication and consultation among workshop participants, faculty and advisers.
The organisers noted that the programme was designed not merely as a theoretical exercise but as a foundation for translating leadership and management knowledge into measurable improvements in laboratory operations.
The initiative is expected to contribute to the development of a stronger cadre of laboratory leaders capable of improving workforce performance, optimising resources, strengthening quality systems and ultimately supporting better health outcomes.
As the workshop underscored, building a quality laboratory system requires more than sophisticated equipment and technical expertise; it also requires competent leadership, effective management and professionals equipped to turn knowledge into sustained institutional improvement.
