Nigeria has commenced local production of next-generation insecticide-treated mosquito nets, with the new facility expected to produce up to 10 million nets annually when it reaches full capacity.
The factory, 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 facility will produce PermaNet®️ Dual, a World Health Organisation-prequalified mosquito net designed to address the growing challenge of insecticide resistance.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the development aligns with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and would strengthen domestic capacity to produce 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,” Pate said.
He added that “the commencement of local production also strengthens our capacity to produce essential health products and supports a more resilient health system.”
Pate commended Vestergaard for investing in local manufacturing, describing the commencement of production as “an important step in Nigeria’s fight against malaria.”
The facility is expected to create more than 600 jobs when fully operational, with about 80 employees already recruited and undergoing training in manufacturing excellence, product quality, occupational health and safety, and regulatory compliance.
National Coordinator, Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), Dr Abdu Mukhtar, said the development “demonstrates how investment, technology transfer and government policy can translate into productive capacity and skills development in Nigeria.”
Mukhtar said the training of Nigerian professionals and commencement of production represent “the kind 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.
Ali said the facility brings Vestergaard’s manufacturing expertise together with Nigerian talent to “produce dual-active insecticide-treated nets locally.”
The establishment of Health Textiles Nigeria followed a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding between Vestergaard and PVAC to strengthen local production of essential health products.
The development comes as Nigeria continues to bear a substantial share of the global malaria burden, with the World Health Organisation estimating 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths globally in 2024.
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 domestic production must be supported by “strong quality assurance, regulatory oversight and safety standards,” while the Federal Government would continue to support strategic investments, technology transfer and skills development.
The initiative is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s malaria prevention efforts while boosting local manufacturing, skills development and employment in the healthcare sector.