Lere John Baale*

Professor, Industrial Pharmacy, Nigerian Academy of Pharmacy, Nigeria

*Corresponding Author: Lere John Baale, Professor, Industrial Pharmacy, Nigerian Academy of Pharmacy, Nigeria.

Received: December 29, 2025 Published: February 19, 2026

Abstract

For decades, African pharmaceutical markets have been shaped predominantly by multinational drug manufacturers, with indige- nous firms occupying marginal positions due to structural rather than technical limitations. The gradual exit or downsizing of several multinational pharmaceutical companies across African markets between 2022 and 2024 was initially perceived as a systemic threat. However, emerging evidence from Nigeria and comparable African contexts indicates that this transition has catalysed regulatory strengthening, local industrial scaling, and renewed confidence in domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing. This article examines the evolving pharmaceutical landscape in Africa, with particular focus on Nigeria as a leading case study. It argues that disciplined regulation, credible standards enforcement, and strategic industrial alignment—exemplified by the roles of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN)—are laying the foundations for pharmaceutical sovereignty and continental renaissance.

Keywords: Pharmaceutical Sovereignty; Local Manufacturing; Regulation; Africa; Cardiometabolic Diseases; Industrial Policy

References

1. PBR Life Sciences. “Nigeria Cardiometabolic Market Insights”. Lagos: PBR Life Sciences (2024).
2. World Health Organisation. “Local Production and Access to Medicines”. Geneva: WHO (2023).
3. World Health Organisation. “Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) and Maturity Level Classifications”. Geneva: WHO (2022).
4. “ICH Membership and Regulatory Harmonisation” (2024).
5. African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat. “Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area”. Accra: AfCFTA Secretariat (2021).

Citation

Citation: Lere John Baale. “Africa’s Path to Pharmaceutical Sovereignty and Renaissance: Building Champions at Home". Acta Scientific Pharmaceutical Sciences 10.3 (2026): 01-04.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2026 Lere John Baale. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.