Algerian Radio
The Minister of Pharmaceutical Industry, Mr. Ouassim Kouidri, held a bilateral meeting in Niamey with the Minister of Health of the Republic of Niger, Mr. Garba Hakimi. The meeting was dedicated to discussing ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the field of pharmaceutical industry, according to a statement issued by the Ministry today, Tuesday.
The same source explained that this meeting took place on the sidelines of the 2nd session of the Algeria-Niger Joint Cooperation Commission. Mr. Kouidri is accompanying Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb during his official visit to the Republic of Niger, carried out by order of the President of the Republic of Algeria.
During this meeting, both parties agreed on the importance of finalizing the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of pharmaceutical industry between the National Agency for Pharmaceutical Products of Algeria (ANPP) and its Nigerien counterpart. They also agreed to identify the Nigerien market's needs for essential medicines to explore the possibility of meeting them through Algerian pharmaceutical products.
For his part, Mr. Kouidri provided a detailed presentation on the current state and prospects of the pharmaceutical industry in Algeria. He highlighted that “local production capacities are equivalent to one-third of the total medicine production across the entire African continent,” while emphasizing “Algeria's readiness to meet Niger's requirements for medicines”.
The Minister also emphasized Algeria's commitment to strengthening technical cooperation, particularly in the establishment and development of pharmaceutical production units in Niger. This initiative aligns with the broader effort to enhance inter-African cooperation to ensure continental health security. For his part, the Nigerien Minister of Health expressed his interest in developing cooperation between the two countries and benefiting from Algerian expertise in this field, according to the same statement.
