Nigeria’s plan to cut reliance on imported health products, create more skilled jobs and strengthen industrial growth advanced on Wednesday as the Federal Government flagged off the construction of the country’s first dual active-ingredient Long-Lasting Insecticidal Net (LLIN) manufacturing plant in Ogun State. The project is championed by the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain and is a joint venture between Swiss-based Vestergaard Sàrl and Nigeria’s Harvestfield Industries Limited, facilitated to boost local production of essential health commodities.
PVAC National Coordinator, Dr Abdu Mukhtar, said the modern facility is expected to start production in April 2026 and will manufacture about 10 million LLINs annually, supplying nearly 30 per cent of Nigeria’s national demand.
He said, “This project marks a transformative step towards strengthening local production of essential commodities. The investment will not only reduce reliance on imports but also create an estimated 600 skilled jobs, stimulate industrial growth, and position Nigeria as a regional hub for health product manufacturing.”
He explained that malaria continues to pose a major public health challenge in Nigeria, accounting for roughly a quarter of global cases and deaths, mostly affecting children. According to him, the presidential initiative aims to change this trend by supporting sustainable and locally driven solutions.
Dr Mukhtar added that leaders of the joint venture, relevant agencies and development partners, including the World Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme, are confident the new plant will contribute significantly to reducing and potentially eliminating malaria in Nigeria and across Africa.
