The Algerian government is touting the prospect of export contracts at the upcoming Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025), but its ambitions face the hard limits of a sector plagued by dependency and structural weaknesses.
The authorities say Algeria aims to position itself as a key player in Africa’s pharmaceutical market, with 14 public and private firms selected to represent the country. Each is expected to secure at least one deal, according to Imène Belabbès, director of pharmaceutical production promotion at the Health Ministry. Exports, valued at just $46 million in 2024, are expected to rise through diversification into products such as anti-cancer and anti-diabetic drugs.
Behind the upbeat rhetoric, however, challenges loom large. Despite claiming nearly 200 production units and “30% of Africa’s pharmaceutical industry,” Algeria remains heavily reliant on imported raw materials and foreign technology transfers. State-owned Saidal, presented as the sector’s flagship, continues to struggle with innovation and depends on multinational partnerships to deliver key medicines.
The government’s strategy also highlights plans for Algerian banks to establish subsidiaries across Africa to ease financing bottlenecks.
But critics see this as more bureaucratic tinkering than genuine industrial competitiveness. Chronic weaknesses in research and development, the lack of a robust innovation ecosystem and regulatory rigidity remain major obstacles.
While officials speak of “South-South industrial complementarity,”past experience suggests many such initiatives stall amid vague vision and limited private sector integration. Regional partners remain cautious, particularly given Algeria’s recurring supply shortages at home in vital segments such as insulin.
By leveraging the IATF as a showcase, Algiers is trying to project the image of a credible pharmaceutical exporter. Yet the sector’s fragility and contradictions suggest that lofty ambitions to become an African hub may be undercut by structural deficiencies that trade fairs and political announcements alone cannot resolve.
MK/ac/lb/gik/APA