Nigeria Begins Local Manufacture Of Next Generation Mosquito Nets Built To Beat Resistance

By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

Nigeria has commenced local production of next generation dual active ingredient insecticide treated mosquito nets, marking a significant step in strengthening malaria prevention and domestic manufacturing of essential health products.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said the development aligns with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and its focus on unlocking the healthcare value chain through investment, local production and stronger domestic capacity.

The new facility, Health Textiles Nigeria FZE, wholly owned by Vestergaard Sàrl, is the first in Nigeria to manufacture dual active ingredient insecticide treated nets, producing PermaNet Dual, a net designed to address growing insecticide resistance and prequalified by the World Health Organisation in 2023.

At full scale, the facility is expected to produce approximately 10 million nets annually and create more than 600 jobs, with about 80 employees already recruited and undergoing training in manufacturing excellence, product quality and regulatory compliance.

The establishment of Health Textiles Nigeria follows a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding between Vestergaard and the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain to strengthen local production capacity for essential health products.

Pate described the commencement of production as an important step in Nigeria’s fight against malaria, stressing that the investment demonstrates what is possible when government policy, private sector investment and technology transfer come together.

Vestergaard Chief Executive Officer, Amar Ali, said the company was pleased to commence production in Nigeria, noting that the facility brings the company’s manufacturing expertise together with Nigerian talent to produce the nets locally.

The development comes as Nigeria continues to bear a substantial share of the global malaria burden, with the World Health Organisation estimating that malaria caused 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths globally in 2024, with the African Region accounting for the overwhelming majority.

With production now underway, Health Textiles Nigeria is expected to fulfil its first commercial orders in the coming months, expanding Nigeria’s capacity to produce a critical malaria prevention commodity locally.