Morocco turned pharmaceutical sector into strategic lever for health sovereignty

Morocco has turned its pharmaceutical sector into a strategic lever for health sovereignty and economic growth, said on Thursday in Istanbul, the Secretary of State in charge of Foreign Trade, Omar Hejira.

Speaking during a panel held part of the 5th Türkiye-Africa Business and Economic Forum, Hejira emphasized that the Kingdom has undertaken an ambitious industrial policy for two decades, turning the pharmaceutical sector into the second chemical activity in the country.

Morocco’s pharmaceutical industry exports have experienced a strong momentum, going from MAD 1.1 billion in 2020 to MAD 1.5 billion in 2024, an average annual growth of +8%, he pointed out.

In Africa, Morocco has strengthened its share of the export market, going from 6% in 2011 to 11% in 2024, becoming the 4th biggest African exporting country of pharmaceutical products.

He noted that the Kingdom counts more than 60 industrial units that produce in accordance with European and American standards, covering 70% of national needs and exporting towards more than 40 countries in Africa, Europe and the MENA region, for a total revenue that exceeds MAD 13.7 billion.

Touching on cooperation avenues between Türkiye and Africa, Hejira said that the African health market is experiencing a rapid expansion, while the challenges of dependence on imports, market fragmentation, and the absence of regulatory integration remain important.

The official assured that Türkiye-Africa cooperation offers a pragmatic and structuring response to these challenges, based on four priority areas. These are the creation of joint industrial platforms to meet market needs, research and development partnerships between Turkish, Moroccan, and African laboratories, the strengthening of pharmaceutical logistics, relying on infrastructure such as Tanger Med, Casablanca, and the future Dakhla Atlantic port, as well as joint financing and investment mechanisms.

He indicated that these actions could be carried by public-private partnerships and supported by an institutional framework that promotes the transfer of know-how, mutual recognition of certifications and the facilitation of market access.

In this context, the official reaffirmed Morocco’s full openness to work with Türkiye and African partners to build an integrated, resilient and innovative African pharmaceutical industry, strengthen common health sovereignty and turn health into a driver of sustainable development in the continent.