President John Mahama says Africa’s vision of building a robust pharmaceutical manufacturing industry is steadily becoming a reality. He has called on African leaders to accelerate efforts to reduce the continent’s dependence on imported medicines and medical supplies. Addressing Heads of State and Government on the second day of the African Union Extraordinary Summit, President Mahama said the continent’s pharmaceutical manufacturing agenda had moved beyond aspirations and was now on a path towards implementation.
He stressed that Africa’s continued reliance on imported essential medicines and health commodities remains a major vulnerability, underscoring the need for increased investment in local pharmaceutical production to strengthen health security and drive industrial growth. According to the President, expanding domestic manufacturing capacity will not only improve access to essential medicines but also support economic transformation by creating jobs for the continent’s growing youth population. President Mahama also expressed concern over the decline in international development assistance for health, noting that many African countries still rely heavily on external funding to sustain their healthcare systems.
He described the situation as a critical moment that demands bold, homegrown solutions capable of making African health systems more resilient and self-reliant. The President argued that investment in healthcare should be viewed as both a social obligation and an economic strategy, linking stronger health systems to sustainable economic growth, industrial development and employment creation. He urged African leaders, health ministers, policymakers and development partners to move beyond declarations and translate their commitments into concrete actions, stressing that the continent’s health future depends on decisive leadership and sustained investment in local pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Minority Chief Whip and Nsawam-Adoagyiri MP, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has urged African leaders to convert the continent’s vast natural resources into real economic development rather than allowing others to reap the greatest benefits. Speaking during a high-level working lunch between the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), Mr Annoh-Dompreh said Africa’s enormous reserves of critical minerals, expanding trade opportunities and environmental assets must be transformed into industrial growth, jobs and prosperity. The meeting brought together the PAP Bureau and chairpersons of permanent committees to examine South Africa’s G20 Presidency, Africa’s role within the G20, and the implications of the incoming United States Presidency for the continent, particularly on debt, trade, climate finance and BRICS.
While commending the policy briefing, Mr Annoh-Dompreh said Africa had long articulated its position in the global order. The greater challenge, he argued, was turning those aspirations into practical policies that improve the lives of ordinary Africans. He pointed to Africa’s vast deposits of minerals needed for the global energy transition and said the continent should be using them as leverage.
“Africa has some of the world’s largest deposits of these critical minerals. That should give us considerable leverage in the global energy transition.” High level discussion; the leadership of South Africa @ the G20, the EU & the bureau of the Pan African Parliament @ Johannesburg He questioned whether Africa had developed a coherent continental strategy to govern, extract and commercialise these resources, warning that without greater coordination, African countries would continue exporting raw minerals while other economies captured the greater value through refining, manufacturing and technology production. Responding to the concerns, Southern Transitions representative Jordan McLean highlighted the African Green Minerals Strategy and the work of the African Minerals Development Centre as foundations for a coordinated continental approach.
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