The government has opened registration for pharmaceutical manufacturers to establish operations in the Legon Pharmaceutical Innovation Park (LePIP), a 2,000-acre facility planned at Ningo Prampram in the Greater Accra Region.
The project, being developed by the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development (24H+) Authority with the Ghana Infrastructure and Investment Fund (GIIF), is expected to create wealth and an estimated 30,000 jobs, according to the Authority.
Companies have until today (October 12) to submit expressions of interest.
Import dependence
About 70 per cent of Ghana’s pharmaceutical demand is met through imports, costing the country more than $300 million annually, the call for expressions of interest says.
The government has set a target of replacing 50 per cent of imports with locally produced medicines by 2030.
The Authority describes LePIP as Ghana’s first integrated pharmaceutical innovation park, designed to make the country a manufacturing and export hub for West Africa and beyond.
Shared facilities
Under the plan, a special purpose vehicle will provide shared infrastructure, including power, water and steam meeting Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards, an effluent treatment plant, cold-chain warehousing and ready-built factory shells.
Quality control laboratories, supervised by the University of Ghana, and a research centre focused on tropical diseases will also be provided.
Tenants will pay fees or lease charges for these services.
Companies producing active pharmaceutical ingredients, generics, vaccines, herbal medicines and diagnostics are eligible. Joint ventures and consortia may apply.
Anchor tenants may be offered equity in the special purpose vehicle, subject to final terms.
Not a tender
The Authority stresses that the exercise is not a tender and confers no lease, award or equity right.
Shortlisted firms will be invited to bilateral discussions from October 26 this year.
The UK-funded Ghana Jobs and Economic Transformation (JET) Programme is supporting the process.
