Ghanaian Naturopathic Scholar Called to Ghana Bar, first Naturopath to Become Lawyer in Two Jurisdictions in Africa
Ghanaian naturopathic scholar and healthcare policy advocate Lawyer Raphael Nyarkotey Obu has added another milestone to his professional career following his call to the Ghana Bar on Friday, 9 October 2026, after previously qualifying as a lawyer in The Gambia.
The development means that Lawyer Nyarkotey Obu has been admitted to the legal profession in two West African jurisdictions. His name appeared on the published list of candidates for Ghana’s 63rd Call to the Bar, which formed part of a ceremony involving 1,568 newly qualified lawyers.
A pioneering achievement
Nyarkotey Obu was called to the Bar in The Gambia in November 2024, becoming a barrister and solicitor in that country. He has been described in earlier professional profiles and media reports as the first African naturopath to be called to a Bar.
For the scholar, the second Bar call is not a departure from naturopathy but a continuation of his work at the intersection of healthcare, law, ethics and public policy. His dual professional background provides a platform for engagement on questions of practitioner regulation, educational standards, professional accountability and patients’ rights.
A career bridging law and natural medicine
Nyarkotey Obu is the President of Nyarkotey College of Holistic Medicine and the Founding President of the African Naturopathic Federation, an organisation established to advance cooperation, educational standards and professional recognition for naturopathy across the continent.
He also serves as General Secretary of the Ghana Alternative Medical Practitioner Association and has worked on the development of educational and regulatory frameworks for naturopathy in Ghana and beyond. His academic background spans naturopathic healthcare science, law, health law and ethics, and business administration.
Internationally, his academic collaborations have involved institutions and professional bodies in Africa, Asia and elsewhere, including work to expand clinical exposure and professional development opportunities for African natural medicine practitioners.
Strengthening the case for interdisciplinary leadership
The Ghana Bar admission comes at a time when professional groups operating in complementary and alternative medicine continue to debate standards, oversight and the legal frameworks under which practitioners should work.
His career illustrates how expertise from one profession can complement another: clinical and educational experience can help identify practical regulatory gaps, while legal training can support clearer policy analysis and constructive engagement with public institutions.
The milestone may also encourage younger naturopaths to explore additional disciplines such as law, research, public health, health economics and education without abandoning their original professional identity.
Looking ahead
Following his second Bar call, attention is likely to turn to how Nyarkotey Obu applies his cross-border legal qualifications to his ongoing advocacy for professional education, evidence-informed healthcare policy and appropriate regulation of natural medicine in Africa. He also becomes the second lawyer from Doryumu in the Greater Accra region .
By the African Naturopath Report