L-R: GM, Plant Ops, Codix Bio Ltd, Olanrewaju Balaja; Chief Operating Officer, Codix Bio Ltd, Mary Ogangwu; COO, Solina Health, Lai Abdulateef Salisu; CEO, Roll Back Malaria, Dr. Adekunle Charles; CEO, Codix Group, Sammy Ogunjimi; Director of Strategy, UNITAID, Janet Grinard and Project Director, PATH, Dr. Albert Komba, during the visited to Codix Bio’s diagnostics manufacturing facility in Ilishan, Ogun State recently
International development groups have called for stronger government backing, smarter purchasing policies, and stable market demand to jumpstart local diagnostics manufacturing.
The call was made during a high-level visit by executives from Roll Back Malaria, UNITAID, PATH, and Solina to Codix Bio, one of Nigeria’s leading manufacturers of rapid diagnostic tests.
Michael Charles, Roll Back Malaria’s chief executive officer, said Nigeria possesses the manufacturing ambition required to become a continental leader. However, the country requires stronger support similar to what operates in countries such as Uganda.
“In Uganda, diagnostic manufacturers receive full government backing. That changes everything,” Charles said.
“They manufacture not only for their own country but for more than twenty others. The question is how we position Codix Bio similarly and attract regional demand.”
Charles emphasised that pooled procurement and long-term volume guarantees could significantly improve factory utilization while strengthening Africa’s health security.
Janet Grinard, UNITAID’s director of Strategy also noted that regional manufacturing is central to improving healthcare resilience.
“Nigeria is strategically important as a manufacturing hub,” she said.
“Our work focuses on creating stronger, more predictable markets that enable manufacturers to invest confidently while improving access to quality health products.”
Grinard acknowledged industry challenges, including fragmented procurement, inconsistent demand, and financing constraints, describing these as areas where international partnerships can help create sustainable market solutions.
Responding, Codix Group CEO Sammy Ogunjimi highlighted several milestones achieved despite operating in a difficult business environment.
He revealed that Codix is now in twelve African countries and exports to some of them. The Global Fund-supported procurement has also enabled the supply of locally packaged HIV diagnostics within Nigeria, Ghana, and Sierra Leone.
However, he stressed that manufacturers continue facing structural disadvantages.
“Local manufacturers compete against imported products produced under significantly lower financing and infrastructure costs,” Ogunjimi said.
He explained that high borrowing costs, imported raw materials, infrastructure deficits, and evolving regulatory requirements continue to increase production costs despite manufacturers meeting international quality standards.
Ogunjimi advocated for ring-fenced government procurement quotas for locally manufactured diagnostics, arguing that consistent local demand would accelerate industrial growth while strengthening national health security.
Delegates agreed that stronger collaboration between governments, development partners, and manufacturers will be essential to building resilient healthcare supply chains capable of responding to future public health emergencies.
