Nigeria is about to launch its first domestic mosquito net manufacturing facility, marking a significant shift in the country’s approach to combating malaria through local production rather than imports.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the SNG Health facility, a joint venture between the Swiss company Vestergaard and the Nigerian firm Harvestfield, signals the beginning of operations expected to produce 10 million long-lasting insecticidal nets annually, while creating over 600 jobs during both the construction and operational phases.
The facility represents more than $30 million in combined investment from Vestergaard and Harvestfield, with additional financial commitments from the Gates Foundation, the United States International Development Finance Corporation and MedAccess.
Isaac Awofisayo, Deputy Managing Director of SNG Health, emphasised the project’s dual mandate of health security and economic development during the ceremony.
“We are looking after our people in Nigeria. We will create 100 jobs for our people in Nigeria through construction all the way to operations,” he stated, adding that the facility would ensure sustainable access to WHO pre-qualified long-lasting insecticidal nets for years to come.
Local mosquito net manufacturing addresses import dependencies
Nigeria currently bears 25 per cent of the global malaria burden, yet until now, all mosquito nets distributed in the country have been imported.
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Nicholas Schornoz, Chief Financial Officer of Vestergaard, described this dependency as adding cost, delays and uncertainty to a life-saving supply chain.
“Building this facility and producing the next generation of insecticide-treated nets here in Nigeria are changing the equation,” Schornoz said. He noted that with domestic production of dual active ingredient insecticide nets, SNG Health can respond to national needs in real time, ensuring availability, stability and resilience in the face of rising insecticide resistance.
The facility will manufacture PermaNet Dual, an advanced mosquito net featuring two different insecticides designed to combat mosquito populations that have developed resistance to single-ingredient treatments.
Schornoz emphasised that Nigerians will have access to world-leading mosquito nets made in Nigeria for Nigeria, creating local jobs, skills and industrial competitiveness.
He cited data showing that mosquito nets remain the single most impactful tool in malaria prevention, responsible for 72 per cent of all malaria cases averted over the last 25 years, with new dual active ingredient nets alone preventing an additional 40 million cases since 2017.
Martins Awofisayo, Chief Executive Officer of Harvestfield, described the partnership as a dream come true for his company, which has been operating in Nigeria’s malaria prevention sector for 25 years.
He recalled Harvestfield’s humble beginnings in February 2000, when the company started by manually dipping plain nets in insecticide solutions and drying them in living rooms before taking them to market.
“Isaac [Awofisayo] used to be the leading one spreading the net in our living room when we were still doing the dip washing,” Awofisayo said, referring to his son. “And today, it’s a dream come true that that same young Harvestfield is now partnering with the biggest manufacturer, the world’s largest manufacturer of insecticide-treated nets.”
Awofisayo noted that Vestergaard had celebrated producing its first one billion mosquito nets at a United Nations General Assembly side event two years ago, attended by Nigeria’s Minister of Health.
“Together we are establishing a facility that will deliver long-lasting insecticidal nets produced in Nigeria for the first time,” he said, emphasising that the nets being manufactured represent the newest generation available.
Awofisayo called the facility ‘end of discussion.’
Cornelia Camenzind, Consul General of Switzerland in Lagos, contextualised the project within broader African manufacturing priorities.
She noted that 70 per cent of public health commodities in Africa are imported despite the continent accounting for 95 per cent of global malaria cases.
“This factory stands for the first African country that will produce dual active ingredients at scale. I think that deserves a loud applause,” Camenzind said. She highlighted her personal connection to malaria prevention work, recalling her earlier posting in Tanzania in the early 2000s, where the Swiss Tropical Institute of Health in Basel led development of functional malaria vaccines and promoted impregnated mosquito netting for vulnerable populations.
Camenzind pointed to Switzerland’s consistent ranking as the world’s most innovative country for 14 consecutive years, noting that Vestergaard exemplifies this tradition of teaming up with global partners to spread knowledge through cooperation among business communities and research projects.
She stated that 50 Swiss companies currently operate in Nigeria, with Vestergaard, Harvestfield and SNG Health representing an excellent example of how such partnerships can work and prosper.
Onoriode Ezire, Task Team Leader for the World Bank, framed the project within the institution’s global focus on job creation as a pathway to reducing poverty and addressing inequalities.
“Your intention, your work that you have done with Vestergaard, is contributing to achieving our own goal, which is creating jobs as a way to reduce poverty and address inequalities in the world,” Ezire told the assembled stakeholders.
He emphasised the human capital dimension, noting that malaria-related absences from work directly impact productivity and GDP. “If you are sick, you can’t work. If we can’t work, we can’t be productive. If the country is not productive, our GDP will go down. So your partnership with Vestergaard is helping to achieve our goal of strengthening human capital.“
Ezire recounted that two years earlier, Vestergaard had approached the World Bank asking how many nets the institution would guarantee to purchase if the company established a factory in Nigeria. “I think it was a difficult question, but then I made some commitment that yes, if you can set up a factory as soon as possible, under the HIPAA project, we can encourage our partners, that is the state government, to buy from you,” he said.
He confirmed that Lagos State is already committed to buying nets from the facility this year and expressed hope that six other states implementing the HIPAA project would follow suit.
The facility’s location was strategically chosen within Ogun State, in proximity to major transportation infrastructure, and benefits from support provided by multiple government agencies and international organisations including the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain, the National Malaria Elimination Programme and various development partners.
The PVAC National Coordinator, Dr Abdul Mukhtar, talked about the impact of the project. “The strategic partnerships” ensure the project comes to light.
“The Nigerian government will do whatever is possible to support this project…when you produce, we’d buy.”