EU, France, Nigeria Launch Mega-Project to END Dependence on Imported Drugs

In a major push toward healthcare self-sufficiency, the Federal Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with the European Union (EU) and France, today signed a strategic €10.2 million partnership agreement aimed at dramatically bolstering the nation’s pharmaceutical manufacturing sector.

The pact, signed under the EU’s Global Gateway’s Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies (MAV+) Initiative, launches a 44-month project known as “Qualimeds Nigeria” (Quality Uplift for Advancing Local Industry in Medicine Standards). This initiative is a decisive step by Nigeria to reduce its over-reliance on imported medicines and build a resilient domestic health security framework.

Of the total funding, the EU is providing €10 million, with the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs co-financing €200,000. The project is set to run from 2025 to 2028.

Focus on Quality and Regional Leadership

Speaking during the signing ceremony at the recent Nigeria-EU Health Investment Forum in Abuja, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, highlighted the collaborative spirit, describing the partnership as proof of the enduring relationship between the stakeholders.

The core of the Qualimeds Nigeria project is to bolster the country’s pharmaceutical ecosystem by expanding the local production of quality-assured medicines, improving access to essential health technologies, and promoting research-based innovation.

Crucially, the funding will be channeled towards upgrading laboratories at the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) to meet stringent international standards. This will enable NIPRD to serve as a regional reference centre for critical activities such as bioequivalence and quality control studies, thereby fostering collaboration with other West African nations, including Rwanda and Senegal.

Economic and Health Benefits

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare emphasized that the partnership extends beyond medicine production, noting the significant socio-economic benefits. “We want to ensure that our people not only get the highest level of access to healthcare but also catalyse socioeconomic development, job creation, capacity building, technology transfer, and revenue generation,” the Minister stated.

Expected outcomes include a substantial increase in local pharmaceutical companies achieving Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliance, stronger clinical research networks, and better integration of Nigeria’s manufacturing sector into global production systems.

The agreement signifies a powerful joint commitment from Nigeria, the EU, and France to building a resilient and prosperous health sector, positioning Nigeria to become a key manufacturing hub for essential medicines in the West African region.