The Federal Government of Nigeria, the European Union (EU), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have entered a €6.3 million partnership aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s capacity for local production of health, immunisation, and nutrition commodities.
The 24-month project will see the EU contributing €5.5 million, with Spain adding €800,000. The initiative is expected to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imports, improve regulatory compliance, and encourage innovation within the pharmaceutical and nutrition sectors.
Tagged “Partnership-Enabling Local Manufacturing of Health, Immunisation and Nutrition Commodities in Nigeria (ELM-N)”, the programme falls under the EU Global Gateway’s Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies (MAV+) Initiative. It is designed to enhance self-reliance in health manufacturing, strengthen supply chains, and guarantee access to safe, affordable health products nationwide.
Speaking at the Abuja signing ceremony, part of the Nigeria-EU Health Investment Forum, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu, emphasised the growing partnership between Nigeria and the EU in strengthening the country’s pharmaceutical sector.
“We are glad that we are signing this agreement, and we value the European Union’s partnership with Nigeria through initiatives such as the EU Global Gateway Investment Package,” Bagudu said.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to policy-driven investments with measurable outcomes, he added, “This partnership is expanding opportunities for technology transfer, facility financing, and local manufacturing production, promoting Nigeria’s mission to become a regional hub for health, innovation, research, and development.”
Representing Team Europe, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, highlighted the strategic importance of investment partnerships. “More than anything, we want to support the paradigm shift taking place in Nigeria and West Africa, moving from aid to peer-to-peer collaboration, from standalone projects, however important, to a dynamic investment strategy,” he said.
“Under MAV+, we provide both financial and non-financial support to manufacturers, governments, academic institutions, and all actors contributing to the local manufacturing agenda. We work closely with the government to identify investment opportunities,” Mignot added.
The Ambassador of Spain to Nigeria, Félix Costales Artieda, noted that the collaboration will not only bolster local production but also ensure equitable access across the ECOWAS region. “This event marks an important step in our joint endeavours to advance the full potential of Nigeria’s healthcare value chain and health security,” he said.
For the United Nations, Resident Coordinator Mohamed Malick Fall, represented by UNICEF Representative to Nigeria Wafaa Abdelate, said the partnership extends beyond investment and healthcare delivery; it also drives economic growth and strengthens the health system.
“In Nigeria, we have over 2 million zero-dose children and a large maternal mortality rate because Nigeria is a very big country, so the numbers are big. This also stresses that it is very urgent and important that this transformation, investment, and partnership result in people having access to affordable, timely, safe health products or vaccines, and also medicine or nutrition products,” Abdelate said.
She added, “We are very much committed to supporting efforts under the leadership of the government. Our collaborative efforts can effectively and meaningfully support the vision of the government and aspirations of the people for a more resilient Nigeria.”
