…Experts lament 60% idle drug manufacturing capacity in Africa

West African countries have been urged to leverage the 1.3 billion population market created by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and cut Africa’s heavy dependence on imported medicines, which experts say remains as high as 95 per cent in some parts of the continent.

The call was made in Lagos during the third edition of Pharma West Africa Exhibition and Conference 2026, where stakeholders also lamented that between 30 and 60 per cent of pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity across Africa remains idle despite growing healthcare needs.

The conference, themed “Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Strengthening for Self-Sufficiency in West Africa”, brought together policymakers, manufacturers, researchers, investors and health professionals to discuss how the region can secure medicine supply through stronger local production, better financing and integrated supply systems.

Speakers at the event stressed the need for West African nations to move beyond donor dependency and build sustainable financing systems that would support pharmaceutical self-sufficiency. They warned that fragmented procurement pipelines and overreliance on external funding were no longer viable.

Chairman of the Planning Committee and former President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, said the COVID-19 pandemic exposed dangerous weaknesses in global supply chains and demonstrated the risks of relying on foreign systems for essential medicines.

He said participants had gathered not to lament the past but to build globally competitive industries and resilient systems capable of enduring future shocks.

Yakasai added that the issue of medicine security was ultimately about people, noting that mothers deserve access to safe medicines while children need dependable healthcare systems for a better future. He said stakeholders share a responsibility to build stronger systems than those inherited.

Participants from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ghana attended the event, underscoring the regional nature of the challenge and the need for collective solutions.
Delegates were urged to move beyond discussions and commit to practical actions such as strengthening local manufacturing, embracing innovation, harmonising regulations and unlocking investment.

Former Minister of Health and immediate past President of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, said pharmacists proved their value during the COVID-19 pandemic when governments across the world searched for solutions.

He said the pharmaceutical sector responded during one of the most difficult global health emergencies and should remain proud of its contribution. He urged professionals to practise with integrity and return to their countries ready to take practical steps toward pharmaceutical sovereignty.

Delivering a keynote address, Chief Growth Officer at Maisha Meds International, Dr Olamide Okulaja, questioned why Africa still imports over 70 per cent of the medicines it consumes despite having factories, pharmacists and scientific expertise.

He said 70 to 95 per cent of medicines across Africa are imported, while between 30 and 60 per cent of manufacturing capacity lies unused because producers lack reliable demand signals.