Key Facts
- —What happened President John Dramani Mahama called on African governments, banks and institutional investors to finance local pharmaceutical manufacturing at the Alamein Africa Forum in Egypt on 3 October 2026.
- —The scale Africa imports more than 70% of its pharmaceuticals and nearly 99% of its vaccines, leaving the continent exposed to global supply shocks.
- —The market The African Continental Free Trade Area could create a unified market of about 1.4 billion consumers for pharmaceutical manufacturers.
- —The proof An Africa CDC pooled tender for maternal and child-health products cut prices by 30–90%, with African manufacturers winning 50% of product lines.
- —Ghana’s role Ghana is positioning itself as a West African pharmaceutical manufacturing hub.
- —What comes next Delivery depends on reliable procurement, regulation through the African Medicines Agency, infrastructure and credible co-investment financing.
President John Dramani Mahama is urging African governments and investors to back local pharmaceutical manufacturing, framing import dependence as both a health-security risk and an industrial opportunity for a continental market of 1.4 billion consumers.
President John Dramani Mahama has called on African governments, banks and institutional investors to finance local pharmaceutical manufacturing, arguing that the continent’s heavy reliance on imported medicines is a strategic vulnerability. Speaking at the Alamein Africa Forum in Egypt on 3 October 2026, he said Africa imports more than 70% of its pharmaceuticals and nearly 99% of its vaccines.
The investment case for local pharmaceutical manufacturing
Mahama’s pitch rests on the scale of the African Continental Free Trade Area, or AfCFTA. The trade bloc could create a unified market of about 1.4 billion consumers, allowing manufacturers to move beyond small national markets and build regional supply chains.
That scale, he argued, would help African countries retain foreign exchange currently spent on imports. It would also create higher-value jobs in research, production and distribution rather than relying on overseas suppliers.
The commercial logic is already visible in procurement. Mahama cited an Africa CDC pooled tender for maternal and child-health products that cut prices by 30–90%, while African manufacturers won 50% of product lines.
Beyond packaging to active ingredients and biologics
The strategic issue is power as well as public health. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed Africa’s dependence on overseas vaccine supply, leaving countries at the back of the queue during a global emergency.
Mahama is calling for production to progress beyond packaging and fill-and-finish operations. He wants African manufacturers to move into active pharmaceutical ingredients, biotechnology, research and biologics.
That shift would reduce vulnerability to global trade disruptions. It would also build industrial capabilities that extend far beyond the health sector, creating a foundation for broader scientific and manufacturing growth.
Ghana positions itself as a West African hub
Ghana is already positioning itself as a regional manufacturing centre. Mahama used the forum to promote local drug and vaccine production.
He also called for investment in generics, essential medicines, diagnostics and medical devices.
The message is consistent: Ghana wants external capital and technology, but on a co-investment basis rather than permanent dependency. That framing matters for how international pharmaceutical companies approach the market.
The geopolitical and commercial stakes
The push for local pharmaceutical manufacturing fits a broader pattern of African governments seeking to convert demographic scale into industrial leverage. The AfCFTA is central to that ambition, offering a single market that could make African production commercially viable for the first time.
This is part of the wider contest for influence and economic opportunity covered in Africa: The New Scramble. External partners from Europe, China, India and the Gulf states are all courting African health markets.
Mahama’s argument is that Africa should not simply be a buyer. It should be a producer, using its own demand to anchor industrial capacity and negotiate better terms with global suppliers.
What must happen for the plan to work
The commercial opportunity is substantial, but delivery depends on several conditions. Reliable procurement is essential, so that manufacturers can plan production without fearing sudden contract cancellations.
Regulation through the African Medicines Agency will also be critical. A credible continental regulator can build trust in African-made products and reduce the fragmentation that has long held back regional trade.
Infrastructure and politically credible financing round out the list. Mahama’s call to banks and institutional investors is an acknowledgement that public budgets alone cannot fund the shift to local production.
What to watch next
The next test will be whether African governments and development finance institutions translate Mahama’s call into concrete co-investment deals. The Africa CDC tender shows that pooled procurement can work, but scaling that model across the continent remains a challenge.
Ghana’s progress on local drug and vaccine production will be an early indicator of whether the country can attract the technology and capital it needs. Progress on active pharmaceutical ingredients, rather than just packaging, will be the clearest sign that the strategy is moving beyond rhetoric.
Frequently asked questions
How much of Africa’s pharmaceuticals are imported?
Africa imports more than 70% of its pharmaceuticals and nearly 99% of its vaccines, according to President John Dramani Mahama.
What is the AfCFTA and why does it matter for pharmaceuticals?
The African Continental Free Trade Area is a trade bloc that could create a unified market of about 1.4 billion consumers, making regional pharmaceutical manufacturing commercially viable.
What is Ghana doing to boost local drug production?
Mahama used the forum to promote local production of medicines and vaccines in Ghana.
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Sources
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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