Fight Against Malaria: Nigeria Begins Production Of Next -Generation Mosquito Nets

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, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the development aligns with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) 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. It will produce PermaNet® Dual, Vestergaard’s mosquito net designed to address the growing challenge of insecticide resistance and prequalified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2023. 

At full scale, the facility is expected to produce approximately 10 million nets annually and create more than 600 jobs. About 80 employees have already been recruited and are undergoing training in manufacturing excellence, product quality, occupational health and safety, 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 (PVAC) to strengthen local production capacity for essential health products.

Prof. Pate commended Vestergaard for its investment in local manufacturing, describing the commencement of production as an important step in Nigeria’s fight against malaria and efforts to strengthen domestic capacity for 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. The commencement of local production also strengthens our capacity to produce essential health products and supports a more resilient health system,” the Coordinating Minister said.

The National Coordinator, 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. He 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. He said the facility brings Vestergaard’s manufacturing expertise together with Nigerian talent to produce dual-active insecticide-treated nets locally.

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

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.

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare reiterated that domestic production must be supported by strong quality assurance, regulatory oversight and safety standards, and said the Federal Government would continue to support strategic investments, technology transfer and skills development that strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare value chain, in line with the Renewed Hope Health Agenda.

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