By Joyce Ekeh
Nigeria has commenced local production of next-generation insecticide-treated mosquito nets, a development expected to boost malaria prevention, create jobs and reduce the country’s dependence on imported health commodities.
The nets are being manufactured by Health Textiles Nigeria FZE, a facility wholly owned by Vestergaard Sàrl and the first in Nigeria to produce dual-active-ingredient insecticide-treated nets.
The facility will manufacture PermaNet® Dual, a World Health Organisation, WHO, prequalified mosquito net designed to tackle the growing challenge of insecticide resistance, which has threatened the effectiveness of conventional malaria control tools.
At full production capacity, the plant is expected to produce about 10 million nets annually and create more than 600 jobs. Already, about 80 Nigerians have been employed and are undergoing training in manufacturing, product quality, occupational safety and regulatory compliance.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, who disclosed this in Abuja, said the investment marked an important step towards strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare value chain.
Pate said local production would expand the country’s capacity to manufacture essential health commodities while contributing to a more resilient health system.
“This investment demonstrates what is possible when government policy, private-sector investment and technology transfer come together to unlock Nigeria’s healthcare value chain,” he said.
The National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain, PVAC, Dr Abdu Mukhtar, said the project demonstrated how government policy and private investment could translate into local manufacturing and skills development.
He said the training of Nigerian professionals and commencement of production reflected the type of outcomes PVAC was seeking to promote across other segments of healthcare manufacturing.
Vestergaard’s Chief Executive Officer, Amar Ali, said the company was pleased to commence production in Nigeria, noting that the facility would combine the company’s manufacturing expertise with Nigerian talent.
The development comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s heavy malaria burden, with the disease remaining a major public health challenge in the country and across Africa.
The World Health Organisation estimated that malaria caused 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths globally in 2024, with the African Region accounting for the overwhelming majority of the cases and deaths.
Health experts have increasingly highlighted insecticide resistance as a challenge to malaria control, making the deployment of next-generation mosquito nets an important component of prevention efforts.
The dual-active-ingredient nets are designed to provide an additional layer of protection where mosquitoes have developed resistance to commonly used insecticides.
Health Textiles Nigeria is expected to fulfil its first commercial orders in the coming months.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said sustained quality assurance, regulatory oversight and strict compliance with safety standards would remain critical as local production expands.
The ministry also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting investments, technology transfer and skills development aimed at increasing domestic production of essential health commodities.
