Swiss Firm Begins Local Production of 10 Million Insecticide-Treated Mosquito Nets Annually, Creates 600 Jobs

Nigeria has taken a major leap toward health sovereignty and domestic industrialization as global health manufacturing firm Vestergaard Sàrl officially began operational activities at Health Textiles Nigeria FZE, a dedicated facility set to roll out 10 million next-generation insecticide-treated mosquito nets annually.

The facility represents the country’s first domestic plant equipped to manufacture dual-active-ingredient insecticide-treated nets (ITNs). At full capacity, the facility will produce PermaNet® Dual—Vestergaard’s advanced net prequalified by the World Health Organization (WHO) that blends pyrethroid and chlorfenapyr to defeat vector mosquitoes that have developed resistance to standard chemical treatments. Beyond bolstering the disease response, the plant is projected to create more than 600 skilled manufacturing and technical jobs.

The milestone directly addresses one of the nation’s heaviest public health crises. According to the World Health Organization, Nigeria shoulders approximately a quarter of the global malaria caseload. While long-lasting insecticidal nets have prevented an estimated 1.13 billion malaria cases worldwide since 2000, recurring supply bottlenecks and high foreign-exchange costs tied to imported nets have previously slowed distribution campaigns across vulnerable rural settlements.

Commending the rollout, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, described the start of local manufacturing as a turning point in the country’s health sector reforms. Pate noted that producing next-generation nets locally reflects the Federal Government’s resolve to safeguard national health security by anchoring the production of critical medical commodities within Nigerian borders.

The minister pointed out that the venture merges international technological standards with domestic workforce capacity, generating employment while insulating the healthcare value chain against global logistics disruptions.

The industrial project is the direct result of a strategic agreement established with the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), a federal initiative set up to attract private investments into domestic pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and medical equipment manufacturing. With the WHO formally sanctioning the Nigerian site as an approved production hub, the facility is positioned to supply both nationwide disease control campaigns and export markets across West Africa, cementing Nigeria’s emerging status as a regional healthcare manufacturing powerhouse.