Nigeria Begins Production of Advanced HIV and Hepatitis Test Kits

Ninety-nine per cent of Nigeria’s diagnostic tools have come from abroad. That number is about to start changing.

Nigeria has taken a major step toward reducing its heavy dependence on imported medical diagnostics, with global healthcare company Abbott beginning local production plans for advanced HIV, hepatitis, and syphilis rapid test kits. The initiative, unveiled at a partnership ceremony in Lagos, brings together the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain, Abbott, and Afrimedical, a subsidiary of Mikano International Limited.

A First Outside the United States

Dr Abdu Mukhtar, National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative, described the partnership as a landmark development. He noted that Abbott will localise production of fourth generation rapid diagnostic test kits for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C directly within Nigeria.

“This is the first time this level of Abbott diagnostic technology is being localised outside the United States. It is a major milestone for Nigeria and for Africa,” Mukhtar said. The significance extends well beyond Nigeria itself. As a regional commercial hub, Nigeria producing this technology locally positions the country as a potential diagnostic manufacturing centre for all of West Africa.

What This Means for Healthcare Access

Reliable, affordable diagnostic testing is fundamental to managing diseases like HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C effectively. Currently, Nigeria’s near-total dependence on imported diagnostics leaves the country vulnerable to global supply disruptions, currency fluctuations, and shipping delays that can directly affect patient care timelines.

Furthermore, the partnership includes Abbott’s integrated Determine Antenatal Care Panel, the only World Health Organisation prequalified diagnostic test that supports triple elimination of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B in pregnant women. Localising production of such a clinically important tool could meaningfully improve maternal health outcomes across the country.

A Broader Manufacturing Ambition

This initiative aligns directly with the Federal Government’s target of increasing local manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and vaccines to at least 70 per cent by 2030. Minister of Health Prof Ali Pate said medical industrialisation would help Nigeria address persistent challenges related to the availability and affordability of diagnostic products.

Mukhtar added that the project would create high skilled jobs, attract foreign direct investment, and deepen technology transfer within Nigeria’s healthcare sector. For a country that has long imported the tools needed to detect its own diseases, that shift represents genuine progress toward health sector self reliance.