How to Procure Medicines for African Hospitals from a UK Supplier

Hospitals across Africa face a persistent challenge: the medicines their patients need are not always available locally. Whether the product is out of stock with regional distributors, not registered in the country, or simply not manufactured on the continent, the result is the same - procurement teams must look abroad.

The United Kingdom is one of the most reliable sources for pharmaceutical exports to Africa. UK wholesalers operating under MHRA Wholesale Dealer Authorisation follow Good Distribution Practice (GDP) standards, hold medicines in temperature-controlled facilities, and can prepare the export documentation that African regulators require. Euro Biom is one such supplier, based near London Heathrow with an MHRA Wholesale Dealer Authorisation. Euro Biom trades exclusively in UK-licensed medicines, including hard-to-source lines not yet registered in your country.

This guide walks through the import process for the six largest pharmaceutical markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, explains what documentation you should expect from a UK supplier, and covers the logistics of getting medicines from the UK to your hospital or warehouse.

Importing Medicines into Nigeria

The Regulator: NAFDAC

Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) oversees all pharmaceutical imports. Medicines imported into Nigeria must be registered with NAFDAC, and the Nigerian importer should confirm with NAFDAC which permits apply before the goods leave the UK.

The import permit application requires a pro-forma invoice from the UK supplier, the product's Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product (CPP), the manufacturer's batch documentation, and evidence that the importer holds a valid NAFDAC premises licence. For products not registered with NAFDAC, a special import waiver can be obtained if the hospital demonstrates clinical need and local unavailability.

Customs clearance at Lagos or Abuja depends on the NAFDAC permit being in order, and the importer should confirm timings with its clearing agent. Delays usually stem from incomplete documentation rather than regulatory refusal, which is why complete documentation from a UK supplier matters.

Importing Medicines into Kenya

The Regulator: Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB)

Kenya's Pharmacy and Poisons Board regulates all medicine imports. Importers must hold a valid PPB import licence and submit an import permit application for each consignment. The permit application includes the product details, quantity, supplier credentials and intended end use.

Kenya runs a pre-shipment verification of conformity (PVoC) scheme through KEBS, and buyers should confirm with PPB and KEBS whether it applies to a particular pharmaceutical product. This means an independent inspection body verifies that the goods meet Kenyan standards before they leave the UK. Your UK supplier should be familiar with this requirement and coordinate with the inspection body as needed.

For products not registered with PPB, any import route is set by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, which treats unregistered products as prohibited unless it authorises them. Hospitals should confirm the current rule and any permit with PPB before ordering. This covers named patient medicines, emergency supplies and products needed for clinical trials. Hospitals should confirm the timing with PPB.

Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport handles the majority of pharmaceutical air freight from the UK, with direct flights from Heathrow providing a transit time of roughly 8 hours. Read more about sourcing medicines for Kenya.

Importing Medicines into Ghana

The Regulator: Food and Drugs Authority (FDA Ghana)

Ghana's FDA oversees pharmaceutical imports through a permit system. Every medicine entering Ghana requires an FDA import permit, which is tied to a specific product, quantity and supplier. The importer, whether a hospital, distributor or government procurement body, must be registered with FDA Ghana.

Ghana has been expanding its regulatory capacity significantly over the past decade and was one of the first African countries to achieve WHO Maturity Level 3 for its medicines regulatory system. This means the import process is well-structured but thorough. Expect the FDA to verify the product's registration status, the manufacturer's GMP certification and the exporter's wholesale licence before issuing the import permit.

For UK-licensed medicines not yet registered in Ghana, the FDA permits special importation where there is documented clinical need. The application must include a letter from the prescribing physician, evidence of local unavailability, and full product documentation from the manufacturer.

See our Ghana pharmaceutical supply page for more details on documentation requirements.

Importing Medicines into South Africa

The Regulator: SAHPRA

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) manages all medicine imports into South Africa. The regulatory framework is among the most developed on the continent, and the requirements reflect that.

Registered medicines can only be imported by a South African registered company that holds a SAHPRA licence, so the import is handled by the buyer's licensed importer in South Africa. The process is relatively straightforward for products already on the SAHPRA register. For UK-licensed medicines not yet registered in South Africa, Section 21 of the Medicines and Related Substances Act allows import under a special authorisation. This is commonly used for named patient supply, where a treating physician applies to SAHPRA for permission to import a specific medicine for a specific patient.

South Africa's Section 21 process is well-established and widely used. The application requires a prescription from the treating doctor, a motivation letter explaining why the registered alternative is not suitable, and supplier documentation from the UK exporter. Turnaround is set by SAHPRA, so the applicant should confirm the current timing with it.

Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport is the main entry point for pharmaceutical air freight, with overnight direct flights from Heathrow. More on supplying medicines to South Africa.

Importing Medicines into Ethiopia

The Regulator: EFDA

Ethiopia's Food and Drug Authority (EFDA) regulates pharmaceutical imports through a combination of product registration and import permits. The country has been investing heavily in its regulatory infrastructure and healthcare system, with pharmaceutical imports growing year on year.

Importers must be registered with EFDA and hold a valid import licence. Each consignment requires a separate import permit, supported by a pro-forma invoice, CPP, batch documentation and GMP certificate from the manufacturer. EFDA also requires that the product labelling meets Ethiopian standards, including information in English (Amharic labelling may be required for retail products).

For hospital procurement, the Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Service (EPSS) handles a significant portion of centralized purchasing. Individual hospitals and private facilities can also import directly with the appropriate EFDA licence. Read more about pharmaceutical supply to Ethiopia.

Importing Medicines into Tanzania

The Regulator: TMDA

Tanzania's Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA) oversees pharmaceutical imports. The import permit process follows a similar structure to other East African regulators: the importer submits product details, supplier credentials and intended quantities, and TMDA issues a permit if satisfied.

Tanzania is a member of the East African Community (EAC), which has been harmonising pharmaceutical regulations across member states. This means regulatory requirements are gradually aligning with those in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, making it easier for UK suppliers to prepare documentation that satisfies multiple East African regulators simultaneously.

For UK-licensed medicines not yet registered in Tanzania, where an individual patient need arises, the route is the buyer's own import application to TMDA, and the buyer should confirm the current rules and permit type with TMDA. The application must demonstrate that no suitable registered alternative is available locally. More on supplying medicines to Tanzania.

What Your UK Supplier Should Provide

Regardless of the destination country, the documentation your UK supplier prepares will largely be the same. The specific combination varies by regulator, but a competent UK pharmaceutical exporter should provide all of the following as standard:

Logistics: Getting Medicines from the UK to Africa

One of the advantages of sourcing from the UK is Heathrow's direct flight connectivity to major African cities. Heathrow has direct or one-stop routes to Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam and many other African capitals.

For temperature-sensitive UK-licensed medicines, including many oncology treatments, cold chain logistics are critical. Your UK supplier should use validated cool boxes or active temperature-controlled containers depending on the required temperature range (2–8°C or 15–25°C). Temperature monitoring devices should be included in every shipment so you can verify the cold chain was maintained on arrival.

Euro Biom dispatches from a UK contract GDP storage site, with an emergency response within 4 hours and typical dispatch within 24 to 72 hours of order confirmation, subject to availability. See our named-patient import supply page.

Payment and Forex Considerations

Currency is a real challenge for many African buyers. The Nigerian Naira, Kenyan Shilling and Ghanaian Cedi have all experienced significant volatility against the British Pound in recent years. This affects procurement planning and budgeting.

Most UK pharmaceutical suppliers invoice in GBP or USD. Some practical approaches to managing forex risk include requesting fixed-price quotations valid for 30 days, negotiating payment terms that allow time for currency conversion, and working with your bank's trade finance team to secure forward exchange contracts for large orders.

For government and institutional buyers, letters of credit (LCs) through local banks are a common payment mechanism. Your UK supplier should be comfortable working with LCs and able to provide the documentary compliance banks require.

How to Choose the Right UK Supplier

Not every UK pharmaceutical wholesaler can export to Africa effectively. When evaluating suppliers, look for these indicators:

• MHRA WDA covering export: Confirm the supplier's Wholesale Dealer Authorisation explicitly covers international supply, not just domestic distribution.
• Named-patient import capability: If you need UK-licensed products not yet registered in your country, the supplier must be able to prepare the documentation for your regulator's named-patient or special import route.
• African market experience: A supplier who has exported to NAFDAC, PPB or SAHPRA before will know the documentation quirks and common delays.
• Air freight access: Good access to Heathrow means more flight options.
• Cold chain infrastructure: GDP-compliant storage and validated shipping containers are non-negotiable for temperature-sensitive products.

Euro Biom holds MHRA WDA(H) 59239, operates from Unit-5 Skyport Drive near Heathrow, and is able to support export enquiries from hospitals and distributors in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Ethiopia, Tanzania and other markets.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do Nigerian hospitals import medicines from the UK?

Nigerian hospitals obtain an import permit from NAFDAC, submit product documentation from the UK supplier (including CPP and batch documentation), and clear the shipment through customs with the NAFDAC permit. For UK-licensed medicines not yet registered with NAFDAC, the Nigerian importer should confirm with NAFDAC whether any permit route exists for the hospital's clinical need.

What documents does a UK pharmaceutical supplier provide for export to Africa?

A UK supplier with MHRA WDA provides a Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product (CPP), batch documentation, UK export certificate, GDP compliance records, commercial invoice, packing list and cold chain validation records where applicable.

How long does it take to ship medicines from the UK to Africa?

Air freight from Heathrow to Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, Johannesburg or Addis Ababa takes 6 to 11 hours in transit. Transit times depend on carrier routing and customs clearance; we confirm an estimate with each quote.

Can African hospitals buy medicines not registered locally from the UK?

Yes. Most African regulators permit special imports of UK-licensed medicines not registered locally, under named-patient import, emergency use or compassionate access routes. The UK supplier must hold an MHRA WDA, and the importing hospital applies to their regulator for a special import permit.