West Africa Urged to Tap 1.3 Billion AfCFTA Market, Cut 95% Medicine Imports
West African countries have been strongly urged to leverage the massive 1.3 billion population market created by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and drastically reduce Africa's heavy dependence on imported medicines, which experts say remains as high as 95 percent in some regions of the continent. This critical call was made during the third edition of the Pharma West Africa Exhibition and Conference 2026 held in Lagos, where stakeholders also lamented that between 30 and 60 percent of pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity across Africa remains idle despite growing healthcare needs.
Conference Focuses on Pharmaceutical Self-Sufficiency
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 emphasized the urgent 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 strategies for the region's healthcare security. The gathering highlighted the regional nature of the challenge, with participants from Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Ghana attending the event, underscoring the necessity for collective solutions across West Africa.
COVID-19 Pandemic Exposed Critical Weaknesses
Chairman of the Planning Committee and former President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, stated that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed dangerous weaknesses in global supply chains and demonstrated the significant risks of relying on foreign systems for essential medicines. He emphasized that 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 stressed that stakeholders share a profound responsibility to build stronger systems than those inherited from previous generations.
Call for Practical Actions and Regional Cooperation
Delegates were urged to move beyond discussions and commit to practical actions such as strengthening local manufacturing, embracing innovation, harmonizing 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 immense value during the COVID-19 pandemic when governments across the world searched desperately for solutions.
He stated that the pharmaceutical sector responded effectively during one of the most difficult global health emergencies and should remain proud of its contribution. He urged professionals to practice with integrity and return to their countries ready to take practical steps toward achieving pharmaceutical sovereignty for the region.
Addressing the Import Dependency Paradox
Delivering a keynote address, Chief Growth Officer at Maisha Meds International, Dr. Olamide Okulaja, questioned why Africa still imports over 70 percent of the medicines it consumes despite having factories, pharmacists, and scientific expertise available locally. He revealed that 70 to 95 percent of medicines across Africa are imported, while between 30 and 60 percent of manufacturing capacity lies unused because producers lack reliable demand signals from healthcare systems.
This situation creates a paradoxical challenge where African nations continue to depend heavily on foreign medicine supplies while their own manufacturing facilities operate well below capacity. The conference concluded with a strong consensus that West Africa must urgently address these systemic issues to achieve medicine security and take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the AfCFTA market.
