By Peter Emmanuel
The Federal Government has welcomed the commencement of operations at Health Textiles Nigeria FZE, a new local manufacturing facility producing next-generation insecticide-treated mosquito nets, describing the development as a significant step towards strengthening malaria prevention and local production of essential health products.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said the commencement of local production of dual-active ingredient insecticide-treated nets represents an important milestone in Nigeria’s health system and its efforts to combat malaria.
The development followed a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding between Vestergaard and the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to manufacture essential health products locally.
Pate said the investment aligns with the Federal Government’s broader efforts to improve health security by building domestic capacity to produce essential health commodities, while creating employment opportunities and strengthening the healthcare value chain.
“The commencement of local production of next-generation insecticide-treated nets is an important milestone for Nigeria’s health system and our fight against malaria,” Pate said.
FG Backs Local Manufacturing of Malaria Prevention Products
Pate said the partnership between global expertise, Nigerian talent and local manufacturing would help build a more resilient healthcare value chain and position Nigeria as a competitive manufacturing hub for Africa.
He said strengthening domestic production of essential health products would reduce vulnerabilities associated with dependence on external supply chains while supporting the wider development of Nigeria’s healthcare sector.
The National Coordinator of PVAC, Dr Abdu Mukhtar, said the commencement of production demonstrates the importance of aligning investment, technology transfer and government policy to develop sustainable manufacturing capacity.
Mukhtar said the objective of the partnership was not only to attract investment into Nigeria but also to translate such collaboration into productive capacity, skills development and manufacturing capability.
He said the training of Nigerian professionals and the commencement of production represented the type of outcome that could be replicated across other areas of the healthcare value chain.
New Facility Targets 10 Million Mosquito Nets Annually
Health Textiles Nigeria FZE, which is wholly owned by Vestergaard Sàrl, is the first facility in Nigeria to manufacture dual-active ingredient insecticide-treated mosquito nets, according to the Federal Government.
The facility will manufacture PermaNet Dual, Vestergaard’s advanced mosquito net designed to address the growing challenge of insecticide resistance. The product was prequalified by the World Health Organisation in 2023.
At full production capacity, the facility is expected to manufacture approximately 10 million mosquito nets annually, providing an additional source of malaria prevention commodities within the country.
The Chief Executive Officer of Vestergaard, Amar Ali, described the commencement of operations as a new chapter in malaria prevention manufacturing in Africa.
Ali said the facility would combine Nigerian talent with Vestergaard’s manufacturing expertise and malaria prevention technologies to produce nets that meet global standards for quality, compliance and performance.
Production to Create Over 600 Jobs in Nigeria
The Federal Government said the new facility is expected to create more than 600 jobs when operating at full scale, further expanding the employment opportunities associated with local healthcare manufacturing.
The company has already recruited about 80 employees and is providing training in manufacturing excellence, product quality, occupational health and safety, and regulatory compliance.
Mukhtar said the development showed how investment in the healthcare value chain could go beyond the production of health commodities to strengthen local skills and create new areas of economic activity.
He said the experience gained through the project could support the development of similar manufacturing capabilities across other segments of Nigeria’s healthcare industry.
Vestergaard also commended the Nigerian Government for its support, saying the collaboration between the company and Nigerian professionals would contribute to the development of local manufacturing expertise.
Government Links Local Production to Stronger Malaria Control
The development comes amid the continuing burden of malaria in Nigeria and across Africa. According to World Health Organisation estimates cited by the Federal Government, malaria caused about 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths globally in 2024, with the African Region accounting for the largest share of the burden.
Nigeria alone accounts for about a quarter of global malaria cases, making access to effective malaria prevention commodities a major public health concern.
With production now underway, Health Textiles Nigeria is expected to fulfil its first commercial orders in the coming months, further increasing Nigeria’s capacity to manufacture malaria prevention commodities locally.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said local manufacturing remains an important part of efforts to build a resilient health system, reduce vulnerabilities in the supply of essential health commodities and create economic opportunities within the health sector.
The ministry also stressed the need to maintain strict quality, regulatory and safety standards as domestic production expands, saying locally manufactured health products must meet internationally recognised standards and remain fit for use in Nigeria and other markets.
The Federal Government said it would continue to support strategic partnerships and investments that promote local production, technology transfer, skills development and improved access to essential health products under the Renewed Hope Health Agenda.
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