Nigeria’s Federal Government has finalized a discounted diagnostics procurement agreement and attracted new investment pledges during a strategic health diplomacy mission to China, signaling growing international confidence in the country’s reform agenda.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, secured the commitments during a visit to PlusLife Diagnostics’ headquarters in Guangzhou. The deal includes mass procurement of Point-of-Care diagnostic equipment for tuberculosis and non-communicable diseases, facilitated through the United Nations StopTB Global Drug Facility.
“This is a transformational step toward decentralizing diagnostics and expanding access to quality testing through our primary healthcare system,” Pate said. “With PlusLife’s cost advantage, we can stretch resources further to test more Nigerians and save more lives.”
In addition to the procurement deal, Plus Life committed to establishing local manufacturing operations in Nigeria between 2026 and 2028. The investment aligns with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), aimed at reducing out-of-pocket healthcare costs and unlocking the domestic health value chain.
Pate credited President Bola Tinubu’s Executive Order removing taxes and import duties on pharmaceutical raw materials, diagnostic equipment, and vaccine inputs for catalyzing investor interest. “Global partners are responding because Nigeria has now become a viable market where innovation, manufacturing, and value chain growth can thrive,” he said.
The announcement drew praise from stakeholders across Africa and Asia. Dr. Li Wei, a senior executive at AFKMED, called the deal “a model for South-South cooperation,” adding that Nigeria’s reforms are “creating a blueprint for sustainable health development.”
At the Sino-Africa Healthcare Cooperation Forum 2025 in Beijing, Pate emphasized that Nigeria’s macroeconomic and health reforms are aligning with industrial policy to create new opportunities for manufacturing and technology scale-up. He described the country as “Africa’s emerging hub for diagnostic innovation and pharmaceutical production.”
Industry leaders at the forum echoed the sentiment. “Nigeria is showing that health reform can drive economic growth,” said Dr. Amina Yusuf, a Nigerian biotech entrepreneur. “This deal proves that strategic diplomacy backed by policy execution works.”
The Ministry of Health noted that the agreements will strengthen national preparedness, improve access to lifesaving care, and position the health sector as a key engine of economic expansion.
Observers say the deal reflects a broader shift in global perception of Nigeria’s health sector, with foreign investors increasingly viewing it as a stable and scalable market. The momentum, they argue, could accelerate regional leadership in medical innovation.
