Qcil Hosts Empowers Next Generation of African Pharmaceutical Innovators

Quality Chemical Industries Limited (Qcil), the largest producer of World Health Organization (WHO) pre-qualified HIV/AIDS and malaria treatments in the region, held a certificate award ceremony at its Luzira plant to celebrate 45 STEM interns, including 8 from Namibia, who successfully completed their internship program.

Presided over by Qcil Founder & Board Director George Baguma, the ceremony highlighted Qcil’s ongoing commitment to nurturing young talent across Africa by equipping them with hands-on experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing, preparing them to lead the future of healthcare innovation on the continent.

Baguma, said, “We are proud to nurture the next generation of pharmaceutical talent. This program equips young people with not just technical skills but also the confidence and mindset to innovate, lead, and thrive.”

The certificate handover celebrated the interns to help themsuccessfully transition from academia to industry and reinforced the importance of local and regional partnerships, such as that between Uganda and Namibia, in developing the pharmaceutical workforce.

“We are always honoured that universities across Uganda and Africa entrust us with the responsibility of sharpening their students’ skills through our world-class pharmaceutical manufacturing practices. 

The students demonstrated incredible promise to become the next generation of pharmaceutical professionals the continent can rely on to strengthen our health systems,” said Harrison Kiggundu, Head of Human Resources at Qcil.

Each year, Qcil opens its doors to students from Ugandan universities, offering them a unique internship experience that blends classroom theory with hands-on training in a WHO-prequalified facility. 

This year’s students underwent intensive practical training in drug formulation, production quality standards, and pharmaceutical innovation.

The program is part of its vision to become a center of excellence in the production of quality, affordable medicines in Africa. 

It targets students pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), and is designed to provide hands-on exposure to world-class manufacturing practices, problem-solving, and quality assurance in pharmaceutical production. 

The internship program runs annually, with applications opening mid-year. Qcil invites STEM students from universities across Uganda, and increasingly from the wider African region, to apply and gain practical experience at one of the continent’s leading pharmaceutical companies.