Nigeria to launch 22 health projects backed by $5.5bn private investment – Pate
By Kunle Sanni
Nigeria is set for a major leap in its health sector development with the launch of 22 large-scale manufacturing projects, backed by $5.5 billion in private sector investment.
This was announced by the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, via a post on his X account on Sunday.
According to the minister, the government also plans to establish a new pharmaceutical manufacturing training institute, Empower Academy Nigeria.
Speaking on the initiative, Pate said the projects are part of broader efforts under the innovative leadership of President Bola Tinubu to transform the nation’s health sector and reduce dependence on imported medical products.
“As these new investments come into our country, our focus on cultivating a world-class pharmaceutical manufacturing workforce in-country has sharpened,” he said.
Empower Academy Nigeria, a collaboration with the Empower School of Health in Geneva, is designed to train and upskill up to 2,000 Nigerian professionals annually. It will feature cutting-edge equipment and world-class facilities, offering certification courses in partnership with leading global organizations such as the Africa CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), and the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).
The training institute will focus on critical areas necessary to support Nigeria’s growing local pharmaceutical manufacturing sector.
“These include knowledge transfer for the production of pharmaceutical excipients, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and advanced dosage forms like inhalers, extended-release medications, and dermatological patches,” Pate added.
“Empower Academy Nigeria will also advance best practices in process engineering, regulatory compliance, quality control, and environmental monitoring.”
The announcement comes as Nigeria recently secured €1 billion from the European Investment Bank and an additional $1 billion from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to incentivize localization across the health sector value chain.
According to Pate, these initiatives are not only aimed at meeting Nigeria’s healthcare needs but also at positioning the country as a manufacturing hub for Africa’s pharmaceutical sector.
