Nigeria has commenced local production of insecticide-treated mosquito nets as part of efforts to strengthen malaria prevention, expand domestic healthcare manufacturing and reduce dependence on imported health products.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said the new manufacturing facility, Health Textiles Nigeria FZE, is the first facility in the country to produce dual-active ingredient insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
The ministry announced the development in a press release posted on its official X account and signed by its Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations, Ado Bako.
The facility is owned by Vestergaard Sarl and will manufacture PermaNet® Dual, an insecticide-treated mosquito net developed to address the growing challenge of insecticide resistance. The product was prequalified by the World Health Organization in 2023, according to the ministry.
At full production capacity, the facility is expected to manufacture about 10 million mosquito nets annually and create more than 600 jobs, providing a boost to Nigeria’s healthcare manufacturing sector.
The development comes as Nigeria continues to carry a significant share of the global malaria burden, making stronger domestic production of malaria prevention commodities particularly important.
The World Health Organization estimates that 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths occurred globally in 2024, with the African Region accounting for about 95 per cent of both cases and deaths.
Nigeria alone accounted for 31.9 per cent of malaria deaths in the African Region in 2024, according to WHO data.
Malaria is transmitted through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes and remains both preventable and curable. Insecticide-treated mosquito nets are among the key tools recommended by WHO for preventing mosquito bites and reducing malaria transmission.
The Federal Ministry of Health said the new manufacturing facility would strengthen Nigeria’s ability to produce essential malaria prevention commodities locally while also responding to the increasing challenge posed by insecticide resistance.
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The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, said the investment aligns with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, NHSRII, particularly its focus on strengthening the healthcare value chain through local investment, production and capacity development.
Pate said the commencement of local manufacturing demonstrated the potential of combining government policy, private-sector investment and technology transfer to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.
“This investment demonstrates what is possible when government policy, private-sector investment and technology transfer come together to unlock Nigeria’s healthcare value chain,” he said.
According to the ministry, about 80 employees have already been recruited by the facility and are undergoing training in manufacturing excellence, product quality, occupational health and safety, as well as regulatory compliance.
The government said the establishment of the facility followed a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding between Vestergaard and the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain, PVAC.
The agreement was aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s domestic production capacity for essential healthcare products and supporting the development of a more resilient healthcare value chain.
The National Coordinator of PVAC, Abdu Mukhtar, described the commencement of production as evidence of how investment, technology transfer and supportive government policies could translate into productive capacity and skills development.
Mukhtar said the training of Nigerian professionals and the commencement of local manufacturing represented the type of outcome that the initiative seeks to replicate across other areas of the healthcare value chain.
He noted that the development could contribute to the growth of local expertise while creating opportunities for Nigerians to participate in the production of essential healthcare commodities.
Vestergaard’s Chief Executive Officer, Amar Ali, also welcomed the commencement of production in Nigeria and expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for its support.
Ali said the company would combine Vestergaard’s manufacturing expertise with Nigerian talent to produce dual-active ingredient insecticide-treated mosquito nets locally. The ministry said the facility’s first commercial orders are expected to be fulfilled in the coming months.
It added that domestic production would expand Nigeria’s capacity to manufacture a critical malaria prevention commodity while supporting job creation, skills development and greater resilience within the country’s healthcare supply chain.
The commencement of local production is therefore expected to play a role in strengthening Nigeria’s malaria prevention efforts while advancing the government’s broader push to increase domestic manufacturing of essential health products.
Premium Times
