Nigeria’s ongoing health sector reforms are yielding global dividends as the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, CON, concluded strategic engagements in China that secured a discounted diagnostics deal and renewed investor interest in pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing.
During his working visit to PlusLife Diagnostics’ corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Guangzhou, Prof. Pate secured a commitment for the mass supply of Point-of-Care (POC) diagnostic equipment for tuberculosis and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) at substantially discounted rates. The procurement, to be facilitated through the United Nations StopTB Global Drug Facility, will expand access to affordable diagnostics under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII).
Speaking after the agreement, Prof. Pate described the development as a milestone in Nigeria’s drive to decentralise diagnostics and strengthen primary healthcare delivery.
“This is a transformational step toward expanding access to quality testing through our Primary Health Care system. With the significant cost advantage of PlusLife technology, we can stretch resources further to test more Nigerians and save more lives,” he said.
In a further show of confidence in Nigeria’s reform-driven business environment, PlusLife Diagnostics announced plans to establish local manufacturing operations in Nigeria between 2026 and 2028, reinforcing growing investor optimism about the health sector’s long-term potential.
Prof. Pate credited the Executive Order signed by President Tinubu—which removed all taxes and import duties on pharmaceutical raw materials, diagnostic equipment, and vaccine production inputs—for stimulating the renewed global interest in Nigeria’s healthcare value chain.
“This Executive Order is not theory — it is already working. Global partners are responding because Nigeria has now become a viable market where innovation, manufacturing and value chain growth can thrive,” the Minister stated.
The Minister also participated in the Sino-Africa Healthcare Cooperation Forum 2025 in Beijing, organised by the Nigerian Embassy in collaboration with CEIBS, AFKMED, and VCBeat. In his address, he highlighted how Nigeria’s macroeconomic and health sector reforms are aligning to promote industrial development, job creation, and sustainable economic expansion.
He noted that through strategic diplomacy, sound policy execution, and reform-backed engagement, Nigeria is emerging as Africa’s hub for diagnostic innovation, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and health technology scale-up.
The Minister concluded that these achievements reflect the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to transform the health sector into a driver of economic growth while improving access to quality and affordable healthcare for all Nigerians.
