EU, France, Nigeria Sign €10.2m Deal to Boost Local Medicine Production

The Federal Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with the European Union and France, has entered a significant €10.2 million partnership aimed at invigorating Nigeria’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities and strengthening its healthcare infrastructure. This agreement forms part of the Global Gateway’s Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines, and Health Technologies (MAV+) Initiative, which focuses on expanding access to quality healthcare products across Africa.

This 44-month project, titled Quality Uplift for Advancing Local Industry in Medicine Standards (Qualimeds Nigeria), seeks to enhance Nigeria’s pharmaceutical ecosystem through increased local production of quality-assured medicines, improved availability of essential health technologies, and fostering research-driven innovation. A key aspect of the partnership is the reinforcement of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) as a regional hub for vital functions such as bioequivalence testing, stability studies, and quality control, with collaborative ties extending to Rwanda and Senegal.

At the signing event held during the Nigeria-EU Health Investment Forum in Abuja, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, highlighted the enduring partnership between the EU, France, and West African stakeholders. He emphasized the importance of building resilient health and social welfare systems that are accessible and affordable, while also creating jobs and development opportunities. The French Ambassador to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier, reaffirmed France’s commitment to the Global Health Strategy principles of equity, solidarity, and human dignity.

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Dr. Obi Adigwe, Director-General/CEO of NIPRD, stressed the strategic importance of this partnership in advancing local pharmaceutical manufacturing, healthcare access, and socio-economic development through capacity building, technology transfer, and job creation. The project will modernize laboratories, improve regulatory standards including Good Manufacturing Practice compliance, strengthen clinical research networks, and promote gender equity in biomanufacturing and research. The initiative aims to position Nigeria as a self-sufficient and integrated player in global pharmaceutical innovation and production systems ​