FG, EU sign agreements to boost local drug manufacturing, reproductive health in West Africa
The Federal Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with the European Union (EU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has signed three major agreements aimed at revitalizing local pharmaceutical production, stimulating investment in the health sector, and advancing reproductive health rights across West Africa.
The agreements — Enabling Local Manufacturing of Health, Immunisation and Nutrition Commodities in Nigeria (ELM-N), Quality Uplift for Advancing Local Industry in Medicine Standards (Qualimeds Nigeria), and Strengthening Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in West Africa — were formalized on Thursday at the Nigeria-EU Health Investment Forum held in Abuja.
These initiatives fall under the EU’s Global Gateway Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines, and Health Technologies (MAV+) programme, designed to enhance health resilience, access, and innovation across Nigeria and the wider subregion.
Speaking at the event, Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Health, Uju Rochas, said the agreements reaffirm the federal government’s determination to build a sustainable, inclusive, and innovation-driven health economy.
According to Shettima, the partnership aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Executive Order promoting the local production of pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
“Through the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC) and complementary frameworks such as the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), this administration has taken concrete steps to strengthen health governance, stimulate investment, and promote local manufacturing,” he stated.
He added that the government’s goal is to foster a health transformation driven by innovation and local ownership rather than dependence on foreign aid.
“Our message is clear: Nigeria is open for health investment, innovation, and impact. The President has declared that Nigeria’s health transformation will not be driven by aid and dependency alone, but by ownership, accountability, and innovation — made in Nigeria, for Nigerians, and by Nigerians,” Shettima said.
The Vice President also commended the EU, PVAC, and the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) for their collaboration, describing the partnership as a new chapter of shared prosperity, local innovation, and global cooperation.
The new agreements are expected to strengthen Nigeria’s pharmaceutical capacity, create jobs, and position the country as a regional hub for health innovation and manufacturing in West Africa.
