FG moves to fast-track local production of rapid diagnostic test kits

By Precious Mark

The Federal Government has accelerated fresh strategic interventions to fast-track the domestic manufacturing of Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits.

The move is aimed at curbing the country’s dependence on imported medical consumables and strengthening national health security.

The decisive resolution emerged from a high-level strategic review meeting held on Sunday, which was chaired by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.

The convergence brought together key institutional stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), and Troment Biotechnology Limited.

The partners reviewed implementation milestones and cleared bureaucratic bottlenecks delaying the full operationalisation of a state-of-the-art local manufacturing facility designed to produce affordable RDT kits and In-Vitro Diagnostics (IVDs) for malaria, tuberculosis, and other priority diseases.

Speaking on the development, Professor Pate noted that domesticating the production of critical diagnostic tools is a direct execution of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Executive Order on Increasing Local Production of Healthcare Products.

“Local manufacturing of diagnostics is not just an economic priority; it is a health security imperative,” the Minister declared.

“We are actively removing every administrative bottleneck to accelerate production and deliver high-quality, affordable test kits directly to Nigerians,” he added.

To ensure immediate action, the Coordinating Minister directed the ministry’s legal and technical directorates to collaborate closely with the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, NASENI, and Troment Biotechnology Limited to finalize the Advance Purchase Guarantee (APG) Agreement and wrap up all outstanding legal procedures.

Pate further institutionalized a mandate for regular implementation reviews to guarantee the time-bound delivery of the local facility, stressing that expanding domestic manufacturing remains a core pillar of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

According to the Ministry, the localization of RDT kits and IVDs will not only insulate Nigeria from global supply chain disruptions but will also stimulate industrial growth, conserve scarce foreign exchange, and generate highly skilled employment opportunities for professionals within the local biomedical sector.