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.
The government described the development as a major milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen malaria prevention, boost local manufacturing and improve health security.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the commencement of local production of dual-active ingredient insecticide-treated nets marked an important development in the country’s fight against malaria.
Pate said the initiative aligned with the Federal Government’s commitment to building domestic capacity to manufacture essential health products, create jobs and strengthen 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,” the minister said.
He added that the partnership between global expertise, Nigerian professionals and local production would help build a more resilient healthcare value chain and position Nigeria as a competitive manufacturing hub for Africa.
The facility was established following a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding between Vestergaard and the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain, aimed at expanding local production capacity for essential health products.
The National Coordinator of PVAC, Dr Abdu Mukhtar, said the commencement of production demonstrated the importance of aligning investment, technology transfer and government policy in developing sustainable local manufacturing capacity.
Mukhtar said the partnership was designed not only to attract investment but also to translate collaboration into productive capacity, skills development and manufacturing capability in Nigeria.
He noted that the training of Nigerian professionals and commencement of production represented an outcome 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 development as a new chapter in malaria prevention manufacturing in Africa.
According to him, 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 company will produce PermaNet® Dual, an advanced mosquito net designed to tackle the growing challenge of insecticide resistance.
The product was prequalified by the World Health Organisation in 2023.
At full capacity, the facility is expected to produce about 10 million mosquito nets annually and create more than 600 jobs.
The company has so far recruited about 80 employees, with training ongoing in manufacturing excellence, product quality, occupational health and safety, and regulatory compliance.
The development comes amid Nigeria’s continuing heavy malaria burden.
The WHO estimates that malaria caused about 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.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said local manufacturing remained central to the government’s efforts to build a resilient health system, reduce vulnerabilities in the supply of essential health commodities and create economic opportunities in the health sector.
The ministry also stressed the need for strict quality, regulatory and safety standards as domestic production expands, insisting that 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.
