Ghana to Build Major Pharmaceutical Industrial Park Under 24‑Hour Economy Initiative
Ghana is set to establish a pharmaceutical industrial park aimed at attracting local and international manufacturers and strengthening domestic production of medicines, medical devices and other health‑related products.
The project, being developed under the government’s 24‑Hour Economy initiative, will create an integrated ecosystem for pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical device production, herbal medicine, research and development, and related industries.
Head of Project Development at the 24‑Hour Economy Secretariat, Kafui Linda Abbah‑Foli, announced the initiative at the opening of the 2026 China–West Africa Medical and Health Industry Expo and AI Deployment and Project Cooperation Summit in Accra.
She said the park is designed to address major constraints facing manufacturers, particularly access to land and reliable infrastructure.
“We are not just building a factory; we are building an ecosystem,” she said, explaining that the park will provide roads, electricity, water, wastewater and effluent treatment facilities required for pharmaceutical production.
Land Secured, Investors Lined Up
Ms Abbah‑Foli said 2,000 acres of land had been identified in the Shai‑Osudoku District, with pre‑feasibility studies already completed.
The project has an anchor investor and a pipeline of potential tenants, including existing Ghanaian pharmaceutical companies and international manufacturers from India, China and the United States. Ghanaian health professionals in the diaspora have also expressed interest.
Project development activities are expected to be completed by the end of the year, after which full feasibility studies, detailed design and master planning will begin.
The development will include a township and housing facilities for workers, with capacity to support up to 20,000 people within its first five years.
Reducing Import Dependence
Ms Abbah‑Foli said the initiative is partly driven by Ghana’s heavy reliance on imported pharmaceutical products, noting that the country imports about 70% of its pharmaceutical needs, including most active pharmaceutical ingredients and excipients.
“The goal is to ensure that we build a park that will cater for the whole value chain,” she said, adding that the project will help Ghana become more self‑sufficient in producing essential medicines and health products.
She said the park would also strengthen Ghana’s resilience against future health emergencies such as the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Ghana’s changing disease burden — including rising cases of non‑communicable diseases such as stroke and diabetes — makes domestic pharmaceutical production even more critical, she added.
Producing medicines for such conditions locally would reduce import dependence and, over time, help ease pressure on the national health bill.
Participatory Land Acquisition Model
Ms Abbah‑Foli identified land acquisition as a potential challenge but said the 24‑Hour Economy programme had introduced a participatory land acquisition model.
Under the model, traditional authorities and land‑owning communities would become shareholders in the project and benefit through dividends and rental income.
She said the approach ensures host communities become active participants in the development and benefit directly from the economic opportunities it creates.
Building a Competitive Health Manufacturing Sector
Ms Abbah‑Foli said Ghana must look beyond healthcare delivery and focus on the entire health value chain, including local production of medicines, medical equipment, supplies and health technologies.
She said Ghana offers significant opportunities for investors, manufacturers, medical technology companies and research institutions seeking a destination for production, innovation and technology transfer.
She urged stakeholders to position Ghana not merely as a market for health products but as a centre for manufacturing, research, innovation and technology development.
The summit brought together stakeholders from Ghana, China and across West Africa to explore opportunities in medical and health industry development, artificial intelligence, technology transfer, investment and project cooperation.