Cameroonian company AD Pharma, which is active in the large-scale distribution of pharmaceutical and paramedical products, plans to build a drug production unit in Douala. The unit will produce medicines, medical consumables, cosmetics, and dietary products.
In a recent statement, the company said it has already signed a deal with the Investment Promotion Agency (API) in that regard. The agreement grants AD Pharma tax and customs exemptions from 5 to 10 years, both in the launch and production phases, per the 2013 law (revised in 2017) on incentives for private investment in Cameroon.
The AD Pharma project (valued at CFA7 billion) fits perfectly into the import-substitution policy implemented by the Cameroonian government in 2021, to limit the country's dependence on imports and develop a robust local industrial fabric.
Although a local industry exists with investment estimated at CFA50 billion by the Association of Pharmaceutical Industries, the drug market in Cameroon remains dominated by imports. Imports of drugs peaked at CFA372 billion between 2015 and 2017, further widening the country's trade balance deficit, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce.
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