The Federal Government has welcomed the commencement of local production of next-generation insecticide-treated mosquito nets in Nigeria, described the development as a major boost to the country’s malaria prevention efforts and healthcare manufacturing capacity.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said the commencement of production of dual-active ingredient insecticide-treated nets by Health Textiles Nigeria FZE marked an important milestone in Nigeria’s health system and its ongoing response to malaria.
Pate said the development was in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening health security by building domestic capacity to manufacture essential health products, create jobs and deepen the healthcare value chain.
He noted that the establishment of Health Textiles Nigeria followed a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding between Vestergaard and the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), aimed at strengthening local production capacity for essential health commodities.
According to the Minister, the partnership between global expertise, Nigerian talent and local manufacturing would help build a more resilient healthcare value chain while positioning Nigeria as a competitive manufacturing hub for Africa.
Also speaking, the National Coordinator of PVAC, Dr Abdu Mukhtar, said the commencement of production demonstrated the value of aligning investment, technology transfer and government policy to develop sustainable local manufacturing capacity.
Mukhtar said the objective of the partnership went beyond attracting investment, stressed that it was designed to translate collaboration into productive capacity, skills development and manufacturing capability in Nigeria.
He added that the training of Nigerian professionals and commencement of production represented a model that could be replicated across other segments of the healthcare value chain.
The Chief Executive Officer of Vestergaard, Amar Ali, commended the Nigerian Government for its support, describing 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 innovative malaria prevention technologies to produce nets that meet global standards of quality, compliance and performance.
Health Textiles Nigeria FZE, wholly owned by Vestergaard Sàrl, is the first facility in Nigeria to manufacture dual-active ingredient insecticide-treated mosquito nets. The facility will produce PermaNet® Dual, an advanced mosquito net designed to tackle the growing challenge of insecticide resistance and prequalified by the World Health Organization in 2023.
At full production capacity, the facility is expected to manufacture approximately 10 million mosquito nets annually and create more than 600 jobs in Nigeria. About 80 employees have already been recruited, with training ongoing in manufacturing excellence, product quality, occupational health and safety, and regulatory compliance.
The development comes amid the continuing heavy burden of malaria in Nigeria and across Africa. WHO estimates show that malaria caused approximately 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths globally in 2024, with the African Region accounting for the overwhelming majority of the burden. Nigeria alone accounts for about a quarter of global malaria cases.
With production now underway, Health Textiles Nigeria is expected to fulfil its first commercial orders in the coming months, further strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to produce critical malaria prevention commodities locally.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said local manufacturing remained a key component of the Federal Government’s 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 for stringent quality, regulatory and safety standards as domestic production expands, noting that locally manufactured health products must meet internationally recognised standards and remain fit for use in Nigeria and other markets.
The Federal Government, it added, 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.
