Nigeria is poised to become the first manufacturing hub in West Africa for insecticide-treated nets in the fight against malaria.
Vestergaard Sàrl announced Tuesday that the Nigerian government, through the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the company.
The agreement is the first step toward establishing Nigeria as the first West African hub for manufacturing insecticide-treated nets, and the first in Africa to produce nets with dual active ingredients to combat insecticide resistance.
The African continent bears nearly 95% of the world’s malaria cases, with Nigeria accounting for one-quarter of them. Every minute, a child under the age of five dies from malaria.
To combat this, the local production of nets, medicines, and vaccines has become a top priority for the continent, alongside improving access to proven, cost-effective tools.
Vestergaard, headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, specializes in creating public health tools for developing nations.
The MoU sets the stage for a joint venture between Vestergaard and a local Nigerian manufacturing partner, with potential backing from MedAccess, a social investor founded by British International Investment.
The company said the selection of a local partner is currently underway, subject to the completion of due diligence. Vestergaard is also discussing financing options with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
If successful, the joint venture will lead to the creation of a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, which will serve as a flagship for the production of high-quality, long-lasting insecticide-treated nets and model best practices in health, safety, and sustainability.
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The facility is expected to produce 10 million PermaNet® Dual long-lasting insecticidal nets annually for both domestic use and export, while creating approximately 600 jobs in Nigeria.
“Increasing access to long-lasting insecticide-treated nets is crucial. Collaborative efforts like this are vital in mobilizing the resources and expertise needed to fight malaria effectively,” said Muhammad Pate, Nigeria’s Minister of Health.
“By investing in local bed net production, we are not only improving health outcomes but also paving the way for a self-sufficient healthcare system,” Abdu Mukhtar, National Coordinator of PVAC, commented.
Michael Anderson, CEO of MedAccess, added, “Regional manufacturing is essential to ensure mosquito nets are available quickly, reliably, and sustainably. This agreement strengthens supply chain resilience and highlights the commitment to protecting people from malaria.”
Jim Polan, Vice President of the Office of Health & Agribusiness at DFC, noted, “Our investments in regional manufacturing aim to strengthen health system resilience and diversify supply chains to better prepare the region for malaria and other vector-borne diseases.”
Amar Ali, CEO of Vestergaard, praised the partnership with the Nigerian government, calling it a global benchmark in the production of dual-insecticide nets.
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