Abuja: Vestergaard S rl announced today that Health Textiles Nigeria FZE has commenced operations, signaling a significant advancement in malaria prevention and positioning Nigeria as a central hub for the manufacture of next-generation mosquito nets in Africa. The facility is set to produce 10 million nets annually, providing employment for over 600 Nigerians.
According to African Press Organization, the plant is the first in Nigeria to manufacture dual-active ingredient insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs), specifically PermaNet® Dual. This advanced net, designed to tackle insecticide resistance, received prequalification from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2023. WHO has also recognized Health Textiles Nigeria as a Vestergaard production site.
As production scales up, Health Textiles Nigeria represents a crucial step in enhancing access to effective malaria prevention tools. Support from the Government of Nigeria has been vital, highlighting a shared dedication to bolstering malaria prevention through locally driven initiatives.
Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, Nigeria's Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, stated that the local production of next-generation insecticide-treated nets marks a significant milestone for Nigeria's health system and its battle against malaria. He emphasized the importance of building domestic capacity for essential health products, which strengthens health security. The collaboration among global expertise, Nigerian talent, and local production is creating a resilient healthcare value chain, generating skilled jobs, and positioning Nigeria as a competitive manufacturing center in Africa.
This development occurs at a critical juncture in the global fight against malaria. Since 2000, tools like ITNs, including PermaNet Dual, have helped avert 1.13 billion cases. Despite these efforts, malaria remains a severe global health challenge, particularly affecting women and children, with WHO recording 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths worldwide in 2024. Africa bears the brunt of this burden, with Nigeria accounting for a quarter of global cases.
Health Textiles Nigeria is addressing the urgent need for expanded local capacity and expertise to produce vital malaria prevention tools. This aligns with a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding between Vestergaard and the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), aimed at enhancing local production capacity and establishing Nigeria as West Africa's inaugural manufacturing hub for dual-active ingredient mosquito nets.
Dr. Abdu Mukhtar, National Coordinator of PVAC, highlighted that this achievement illustrates the potential of aligning investment, technology transfer, and government policy to build local manufacturing capabilities. The MOU aimed to translate partnerships into productive capacity in Nigeria, and the ongoing production and workforce development are the desired outcomes for replication across the healthcare value chain.
Health Textiles Nigeria, fully owned by Vestergaard, benefits from the company's extensive experience in malaria prevention. Vestergaard has supplied about one-third of all publicly procured insecticide-treated nets worldwide since 2000. The company is renowned for its manufacturing expertise, rigorous quality assurance, and innovative vector-control technologies that have protected millions from malaria.
Amar Ali, CEO of Vestergaard, expressed gratitude for the Nigerian government's support and Minister Pate's leadership in this new chapter of Africa's malaria fight. By merging Nigerian talent with world-class manufacturing and Vestergaard's expertise in malaria prevention tools, Health Textiles Nigeria aims to set a benchmark for malaria prevention manufacturing in Africa, ensuring life-saving mosquito nets are produced close to the communities most in need.
Health Textiles Nigeria emphasizes quality, training, and compliance in its operations. The company has already recruited approximately 80 employees, with ongoing training in manufacturing excellence, product quality, health and safety, and regulatory compliance. As production grows, more employment opportunities are anticipated, fostering a highly skilled workforce for world-class health-product manufacturing.
The facility builds on Vestergaard's longstanding commitment to innovation, quality, and practical malaria prevention solutions. Every production aspect is designed to meet the company's stringent global standards, ensuring the PermaNet Dual produced in Nigeria maintains the performance and reliability essential for global health programs.
As African nations increasingly prioritize local manufacturing of essential health products, Health Textiles Nigeria exemplifies the synergy of international expertise and local capability in strengthening supply chains, creating skilled jobs, and improving access to critical health interventions. With production underway, the first commercial orders are expected to be delivered in the coming months.