Nigeria, EU, UNICEF partner on €6.3m project to boost local health commodity production

The federal government has entered into a new partnership with the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity for local production of vaccines, medicines, and nutrition commodities.

The two-year initiative, Enabling Local Manufacturing of Health, Immunisation and Nutrition Commodities in Nigeria (ELM-N), is part of the EU’s Global Gateway Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies (MAV+) programme, valued at €6.3 million, with the EU contributing €5.5 million and Spain providing an additional €800,000.

The agreement, which was formalised at the Nigeria-EU Health Investment Forum in Abuja, seeks to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported health products by enhancing local manufacturing, improving supply-chain efficiency, strengthening regulatory systems, and fostering technology transfer and innovation.

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, described the initiative as a major step in Nigeria’s plan to build a stronger, more competitive pharmaceutical sector and attract sustainable investment.

“This partnership demonstrates our commitment to aligning investments with clear policy priorities and measurable outcomes. 

“It will expand opportunities for local production, facility financing, and technology transfer, positioning Nigeria as a regional hub for health innovation, research, and development,” Bagudu said.

EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, who represented Team Europe, said the Global Gateway strategy aims to transition partnerships from aid-based support to strategic, investment-driven collaboration.

“Through MAV+, we are supporting manufacturers, governments, academic institutions, and other key stakeholders in advancing local production. 

“This represents a shift toward peer-to-peer partnerships between Europe and West Africa,” Mignot said.

Additionally, Spain’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Félix Costales Artieda, noted that the collaboration would not only advance local manufacturing but also enhance equitable access to essential health commodities across the ECOWAS subregion.

“This project marks an important milestone in unlocking Nigeria’s healthcare value chain and boosting health security,” he said.

Representing the United Nations (UN) system, UNICEF’s Representative to Nigeria, Wafaa Abdelate, who spoke on behalf of the UN Resident Coordinator, highlighted that local production remains vital to achieving universal access to life-saving health products.

She noted that Nigeria still has more than two million zero-dose children and faces significant maternal health challenges. 

Advertisement

“It is urgent that investments like this translate into timely, affordable, and safe access to vaccines, medicines, and nutrition products for all Nigerians,” Abdelate added.

According to the project’s framework, ELM-N will focus on strengthening Nigeria’s health commodity supply chain, promoting innovation in pharmaceutical production, and supporting regulatory harmonisation.

It will also complement ongoing national reforms aimed at revitalising the local pharmaceutical industry and align with broader EU and multilateral efforts in reproductive, maternal, and child health as well as digital health development.

Implementation is expected to commence immediately, with stakeholders set to identify potential manufacturers, assess investment needs, and deploy technical assistance to accelerate local production and distribution of essential health commodities.