Nigeria has started producing dual-active ingredient insecticide-treated mosquito nets locally, with a new factory expected to produce up to 10 million nets a year when it reaches full capacity.
The facility, Health Textiles Nigeria FZE, is owned by Vestergaard Sàrl and is the first in Nigeria to produce the dual-active mosquito nets.
The company will manufacture PermaNet® Dual, a mosquito net developed to help deal with insecticide resistance. The product was prequalified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2023.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the project supports the Federal Government’s efforts to increase local production of essential health products.
“This investment demonstrates what is possible when government policy, private-sector investment and technology transfer come together to unlock Nigeria’s healthcare value chain,” Pate said.
He said the start of local production would also strengthen Nigeria’s ability to produce essential health products and build a more resilient health system.
Factory to Create Over 600 Jobs
The factory is expected to create more than 600 jobs once it reaches full production.
So far, about 80 workers have been employed and are undergoing training in manufacturing, product quality, occupational health and safety, and regulatory compliance.
The project followed a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding between Vestergaard and the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC).
National Coordinator of PVAC, Dr Abdu Mukhtar, said the project shows how investment and technology transfer can translate into jobs, skills and production capacity in Nigeria.
He said the training of Nigerian workers and the beginning of production were in line with the kind of results the initiative wants to see in other parts of the healthcare value chain.
Vestergaard Chief Executive Officer, Amar Ali, said the company was pleased to begin production in Nigeria and thanked the Federal Government for its support.
He said the factory combines Vestergaard’s manufacturing experience with Nigerian workers to produce the mosquito nets locally.
Nigeria Still Carries Heavy Malaria Burden
The factory comes at a time when malaria remains a major public health problem in Nigeria and across Africa.
The WHO estimated that 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths were recorded globally in 2024, with the African Region accounting for most of the cases and deaths.
The new factory is expected to supply its first commercial orders in the coming months.
The Ministry of Health said local production must also be backed by proper quality control, regulatory oversight and safety standards.
It added that the government would continue to support investments, technology transfer and skills development aimed at strengthening the country’s healthcare manufacturing capacity under the Renewed Hope Health Agenda.
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