UNIDO Advances Dialogue on Competitive Pharmaceutical Manufacturing in Africa
Cairo, Egypt, 18 June 2026: As Africa accelerates efforts to strengthen its pharmaceutical sovereignty, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is helping to translate policy ambition into tangible industrial outcomes — expanding access to essential medicines, reducing reliance on imports and creating new industrial opportunities.
At the Global Private Sector Engagement Forum (PSEF) 2026, UNIDO advanced its integrated approach to pharmaceutical industry development through high-level dialogue and strategic bilateral engagements. During the panel, Building an Enabling Ecosystem for Sustainable Pharmaceutical Manufacturing in Africa, Alejandro Rivera Rojas, Chief of MSME, Quality and Job Creation Division at UNIDO, emphasized that competitive pharmaceutical manufacturing depends on integrated industrial ecosystems combining regulatory convergence, quality infrastructure, regional value chains, investment facilitation and market access. He also highlighted the importance of preparing investment-ready projects by aligning industrial upgrading, regulatory compliance and blended financing mechanisms to support industrial scale-up.
On the margins of the Forum, UNIDO engaged with key public and private sector partners, including Sartorius, Bayer, GIZ and Africa CDC, to advance collaboration on pharmaceutical manufacturing in Africa. Discussions with Africa CDC identified priority areas for joint technical work on quality infrastructure and regional manufacturing capacity, while engagements with Sartorius advanced discussions towards a Memorandum of Understanding on bioprocessing solutions, technology transfer and workforce development.
UNIDO also convened the panel, From Policy to Production: Building Competitive Pharmaceutical Manufacturing in Africa, bringing together representatives from industry, development finance institutions, international organizations and African pharmaceutical manufacturers to discuss practical pathways for building competitive, innovative and resilient pharmaceutical industries.
The discussion underscored the need to move beyond isolated manufacturing investments towards integrated industrial ecosystems supported by stronger regulatory and quality infrastructure, skilled workforces, supplier networks, technology transfer, investment readiness and regional value chains.
"A pharmaceutical project in Africa only becomes truly bankable when demand is long-term, industrial capability is proven, and risks are shared through sound governance. We need to shift from competing to complementing, so regulators, procurers, manufacturers and investors build cohesive ecosystems rather than standalone projects or factories to achieve sustainable health security across Africa," said Dr. Amr Douban, Investment Advisor at the World Bank Group/IFC.
Through targeted technical assistance, UNIDO supports countries in strengthening regulatory frameworks, advancing Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant production, fostering partnerships and mobilizing investment to build more competitive pharmaceutical industries. These efforts contribute to improved availability of quality essential medicines, expanded skilled employment, reduced import dependency and strengthened health sovereignty across Africa.
For more information, please contact:
Alejandro Rivera Rojas, Chief of MSME, Quality and Job Creation Division
a.rivera-rojas [at] unido.org
