Nigeria Targets Insecticide Resistance with Local Production of Next-Generation Mosquito Nets

Ayodeji Ake

Nigeria has commenced local production of next-generation insecticide-treated mosquito nets containing dual active ingredients, as the country moves to strengthen malaria prevention and respond to the growing threat of insecticide resistance.

The development is also expected to boost domestic production of essential health commodities and reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported malaria prevention products.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the initiative was consistent with the federal government’s efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare value chain through local investment, manufacturing and technology transfer.

Production is being undertaken by Health Textiles Nigeria FZE, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vestergaard Sàrl. The facility is the first in Nigeria to manufacture dual-active ingredient insecticide-treated mosquito nets.

The company will produce PermaNet Dual, a next-generation mosquito net developed to help tackle insecticide resistance, one of the challenges threatening progress in malaria control. The product was prequalified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2023.

At full capacity, the facility is expected to produce about 10 million mosquito nets annually and create more than 600 jobs.

About 80 Nigerians have already been recruited and are undergoing training in manufacturing excellence, product quality, occupational health and safety, and regulatory compliance.

Pate described the commencement of production as an important step in strengthening Nigeria’s malaria response and improving the country’s capacity to produce essential health commodities.

“This investment demonstrates what is possible when government policy, private-sector investment and technology transfer come together to unlock Nigeria’s healthcare value chain,” Pate said.

According to him, local manufacturing would not only increase access to essential health products but also contribute to a more resilient healthcare system.

The establishment of Health Textiles Nigeria followed a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding between Vestergaard and the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), which seeks to expand domestic manufacturing of essential health products.

The National Coordinator of PVAC, Dr. Abdu Mukhtar, said the project demonstrated how government policy, private investment and technology transfer could translate into productive capacity and develop a skilled Nigerian workforce.

He said the training of Nigerian professionals alongside the commencement of production represented the kind of outcome PVAC hoped to replicate across other segments of the healthcare value chain.

Vestergaard’s Chief Executive Officer, Amar Ali, said the company was pleased to begin manufacturing in Nigeria and expressed appreciation for the Federal Government’s support.

Ali said the facility would combine Vestergaard’s manufacturing expertise with Nigerian talent to produce dual-active insecticide-treated nets locally.

The development comes as malaria continues to pose a major public health challenge in Nigeria and across sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the WHO, malaria caused an estimated 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths globally in 2024, with the WHO African Region accounting for the overwhelming majority of the global burden.

Health experts have increasingly raised concerns about insecticide resistance, which can reduce the effectiveness of conventional mosquito-control tools and threaten gains made in malaria prevention.

With production now underway, Health Textiles Nigeria is expected to fulfil its first commercial orders in the coming months, potentially increasing the availability of locally manufactured mosquito nets for malaria prevention programmes.

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, however, stressed that increased domestic production must be accompanied by strong quality assurance, regulatory oversight and compliance with safety standards.

The ministry reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to supporting strategic investments, technology transfer and skills development aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare value chain under the Renewed Hope Health Agenda.