Accra, Ghana and Kigali, Rwanda – 30 January 2026 — Bio Usawa Chief Operating Officer Patrick Lukulay, PhD, participated as a panelist at the Africa Trade Summit 2026, held January 28–29 in Accra, Ghana. The session brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and development partners to examine the future of biotechnology manufacturing and market integration across Africa.

During the conversation, Dr. Lukulay challenged a prevailing narrative around Africa’s bio pharmaceutical sector. He emphasized that the continent’s central challenge is not a lack of manufacturing capacity, but insufficient and inconsistent market patronage for locally produced medicines.

Across Africa, bio pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities operate at only 40–50% of installed capacity, even as the continent imports nearly 70% of the medicines it consumes. According to Dr. Lukulay, this disconnect is driven by market conditions that systematically disadvantage local manufacturers, including subsidized imports and lingering perceptions about the quality of African-made medicines.

While governments and stakeholders frequently promote local production, procurement practices often continue to favor imports—undermining efforts to build sustainable domestic industries.

“Africa’s pharmaceutical challenge is not primarily a lack of capacity, but a lack of patronage,” said Lukulay. “We are not buying what we seek to build. Market access, not manufacturing skill, is the real bottleneck. Policy statements do not build factories—committed markets do.”

Dr. Lukulay underscored the need for coordinated action, calling for smart industrial policies that protect emerging manufacturers from unfair competition and intentional procurement strategies that prioritize quality-assured, locally produced medicines. Such commitments, he noted, are essential to financing strong quality systems, building skilled talent, enabling technology transfer, and achieving long-term industrial scale.

Bio Usawa’s engagement at the Africa Trade Summit reflects the company’s commitment to strengthening Africa’s health manufacturing ecosystem—improving access to essential medicines while supporting inclusive economic growth and industrial development across the continent.

About Bio Usawa Inc.

Bio Usawa is Africa’s pioneering biotechnology company dedicated to democratizing access to life-saving biotherapeutics. Headquartered in Kigali, Rwanda, the company develops, licenses, and manufactures affordable monoclonal antibodies and biosimilars targeting cancer, diabetes complications, infectious diseases, and autoimmune conditions.

Chief Operating Officer of Bio Usawa, Dr. Patrick Lukulay (2nd-R), speaks at the Africa Trade Summit 2026 in Accra, Ghana, on January 29.