Ogun State Commissions Nigeria’s First Large-Scale Rapid Diagnostic Test Plant,Boosting Healthcare and Industrial Growth

Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun on Tuesday commissioned a state-of-the-art facility for Codix Bio Pharmaceutical Company in Sagamu, dedicated to producing diagnostic and treatment kits for diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases and hosting Nigeria’s first large-scale Rapid Diagnostic Test manufacturing plant. The initiative reflects a strategic push to strengthen the state’s healthcare and industrial ecosystems.

Commissioning and Facility Operations

The new plant, situated along the Sagamu–Ijebu Ode Expressway, is scheduled to begin operations in May 2025 and will manufacture rapid diagnostic test kits for malaria, HIV and hepatitis alongside devices targeting diabetes, hypertension and heart-related disorders. Governor Abiodun described the investment as a vote of confidence in Ogun State’s business-friendly environment, noting that it underscored the state’s capacity to attract and host strategic healthcare developments.

Partnership and Capacity Building

Founded in 2008 with a focus on pharmaceuticals for diabetes and cardiovascular conditions, Codix Pharma shifted its strategy toward diagnostics and established Codix Bio Ltd to boost local production of medical technologies. This launch follows the December 2023 opening of Colexa Biosensor, sub-Saharan Africa’s first factory producing blood glucose meters and strips under the Codix Group umbrella. Governor Abiodun announced collaborations with Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital and the state’s School of Nursing-recently elevated to a degree-awarding college-to train graduates in biosensors and nanotechnology, building on an existing partnership that has enrolled 138 students in specialized courses.

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PHC Renovation Drive

Alongside this milestone, Ogun State is advancing a three-phase renovation of its primary healthcare centres, targeting one fully functional PHC per ward. As of August 2022, 63 of the 236 identified centres had been refurbished with upgraded infrastructure, equipment and staffing under the state’s initiative to revitalize community healthcare delivery.

The commissioning of the Codix Bio facility marks a significant step toward Ogun State’s vision of health sector self-reliance, industrial diversification and inclusive growth. By aligning public policy with private innovation, the administration seeks to ensure that critical diagnostic tools and treatments are locally produced and accessible to communities across Nigeria and beyond.