Nigeria is taking a significant step toward medical self-sufficiency after officials licensed a new specialized Free Trade Zone (FTZ) aimed at transforming the country from a consumer to an exporter of healthcare products. The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) has officially handed over operating licenses to Harvestfield FTZ. The move is expected to tackle the country’s heavy reliance on imported medical supplies and boost the local economy through high-tech manufacturing.
A ‘Strategic’ Shift
Speaking at the presentation in Abuja, NEPZA Managing Director Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi described the project as a “strategic” intervention for the health sector.”This opens up a new opportunity for the country to become an exporter of health products,” Dr. Ogunyemi said. He urged other investors to leverage the country’s free zones, noting that the initiative aligns with the government’s “Renewed Hope” agenda to pivot Nigeria toward an export-oriented economy.
Tackling the Malaria Burden
The new zone is an immediate byproduct of a 2024 Presidential Executive Order designed to unlock healthcare value chains. One of its flagship projects involves a partnership between the Danish conglomerate Vestergaard—the world’s largest producer of insecticide-treated nets—and the Nigerian group Harvestfield. Operating as SNG Health, the joint venture is expected to:
Produce 10 million dual-insecticide nets annually, create approximately 600 jobs in Ogun State, supply 30% of Nigeria’s domestic demand for nets in its first phase. The timing is critical. Nigeria currently carries a heavy global health burden, accounting for 27% of malaria cases and 30% of malaria-related deaths worldwide each year.
Dr. Abdu Mukthar, National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative to Unlock Healthcare Value Chains (PVAC), confirmed that the $30 million facility is on track to begin production in just over a year.
By manufacturing these life-saving tools on home soil, Nigeria hopes to not only save foreign exchange but also gain a firmer grip on its own public health destiny.
Add Comment