10 SEPTEMBER 2026 — The Federal Government has welcomed the commencement of operations by Health Textiles Nigeria FZE, a new local manufacturing facility producing next-generation insecticide-treated mosquito nets, describing the development as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen malaria prevention and local manufacturing of essential health products.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, stated that the commencement of local production of dual-active ingredient insecticide-treated nets represents an important milestone in Nigeria’s health system and the national response to malaria.
The establishment of Health Textiles Nigeria follows a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Vestergaard and the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), aimed at strengthening local production capacity for essential health products.
Professor Pate said the development aligns with the Federal Government’s broader commitment to strengthening health security by building domestic capacity to manufacture essential health products, while creating jobs and strengthening the healthcare value chain.
“The commencement of local production of next-generation insecticide-treated nets is an important milestone for Nigeria’s health system and our fight against malaria. It also reflects our broader commitment to strengthening health security by building domestic capacity to manufacture the essential health products Nigerians need,” the Coordinating Minister said.
He added that the partnership between global expertise, Nigerian talent and local production would contribute to building a more resilient healthcare value chain, while positioning Nigeria as a competitive manufacturing hub for Africa.
The National Coordinator of PVAC, Dr Abdu Mukhtar, said the commencement of production demonstrates the value of aligning investment, technology transfer and government policy to develop sustainable local manufacturing capacity.
According to him, the objective of the partnership was not merely to attract investment but to translate collaboration into productive capacity, skills development and manufacturing capability in Nigeria.
He said the training of Nigerian professionals and commencement of production represented the type of outcome that could be replicated across other segments of the healthcare value chain.
The Chief Executive Officer of Vestergaard, Amar Ali, commended the Nigerian Government for its support and described the commencement of operations as a new chapter in malaria prevention manufacturing in Africa.
He said the facility would combine Nigerian talent with Vestergaard’s manufacturing expertise and innovative malaria prevention technologies to deliver products that meet global standards of quality, compliance and performance.
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, Vestergaard’s advanced mosquito net designed to address the growing challenge of insecticide resistance and prequalified by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2023.
At full scale, the facility is expected to produce approximately 10 million mosquito nets annually and create more than 600 jobs in Nigeria. The company has already recruited about 80 employees, with ongoing training in manufacturing excellence, product quality, occupational health and safety, and regulatory compliance.
The development is particularly significant given the continuing burden of malaria in Nigeria and across Africa. According to WHO estimates, malaria caused approximately 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths globally in 2024, with the African Region bearing the greatest burden. Nigeria alone accounts for about a quarter of global malaria cases.
With production now underway, Health Textiles Nigeria is expected to fulfil its first commercial orders in the coming months, further advancing Nigeria’s capacity to manufacture critical malaria prevention commodities locally.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare reiterated that local manufacturing remains an important component of the Federal Government’s efforts to build a resilient health system, reduce vulnerabilities in the supply of essential health commodities and promote economic opportunities within the health sector.
The Ministry further emphasized the importance of maintaining stringent quality, regulatory and safety standards as domestic production expands, noting that locally manufactured health products must meet internationally recognised standards and remain fit for use in Nigeria and other markets.
The Federal Government said it would continue to encourage strategic partnerships and investments that support local production, technology transfer, skills development and improved access to essential health products, in line with the Renewed Hope Health Agenda.
Ado Bako
Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations.
