Nigeria has commenced local production of next-generation dual-active ingredient insecticide-treated mosquito nets, in a development expected to strengthen malaria prevention and expand domestic manufacturing of essential health products.
The new manufacturing facility, Health Textiles Nigeria FZE, wholly owned by Vestergaard Sàrl, is the first in Nigeria to produce dual-active ingredient insecticide-treated nets.
The facility will manufacture PermaNet® Dual, a Vestergaard mosquito net designed to address the growing challenge of insecticide resistance and prequalified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2023.
At full capacity, the facility is expected to produce about 10 million nets annually and create more than 600 jobs.
About 80 employees have already been recruited and are undergoing training in manufacturing excellence, product quality, occupational health and safety, and regulatory compliance.
The development comes as Nigeria continues to face a significant malaria burden. WHO estimates that malaria caused 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths globally in 2024, with the African Region accounting for the overwhelming majority of cases and deaths.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the investment aligns with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), which seeks to strengthen the healthcare value chain through investment, local production and increased domestic capacity.
Pate described the commencement of production as an important step in Nigeria’s fight against malaria and efforts to strengthen local manufacturing of essential health products.
“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.
He added that local production would strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to manufacture essential health products and contribute to a more resilient health system.
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) to strengthen local production capacity for essential health products.
The National Coordinator of PVAC, Dr Abdu Mukhtar, said the project demonstrates how investment, technology transfer and government policy can translate into productive capacity and skills development.
He said the training of Nigerian professionals and commencement of production represent the type of outcome the initiative seeks to replicate across other segments of the healthcare value chain.
Vestergaard Chief Executive Officer, Amar Ali, said the company was pleased to commence production in Nigeria and thanked the Federal Government for its support.
According to him, the facility combines Vestergaard’s manufacturing expertise with Nigerian talent to produce dual-active insecticide-treated nets locally.
Health Textiles Nigeria is expected to fulfil its first commercial orders in the coming months, further expanding Nigeria’s capacity to produce a critical malaria prevention commodity domestically.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said the expansion of domestic manufacturing would continue to be supported by strong quality assurance, regulatory oversight and safety standards.
The ministry also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strategic investments, technology transfer and skills development aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare value chain under the Renewed Hope Health Agenda.
