Nigeria’s healthcare sector has received a major boost as the country secured $5.5 billion in private sector capital to fund 22 new large-scale health sector manufacturing projects.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the development via his official X handle on Sunday, crediting the achievement to the leadership of President Bola Tinubu.
Pate further revealed that Nigeria signed a landmark partnership with the Empower School of Health, Geneva, to establish Africa’s foremost pharmaceutical manufacturing training institute — Empower Academy Nigeria. The new institution is expected to train and upskill up to 2,000 Nigerian professionals every year.
“Under the innovative leadership of H.E. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, Nigeria has advanced 22 new large-scale health sector manufacturing projects funded by $5.5bn in private sector capital,” Pate posted.
The minister noted that this comes alongside other major funding milestones, including Nigeria securing €1 billion from the European Investment Bank and $1 billion from AfreximBank to localize the health sector value chain.
According to him, Empower Academy Nigeria will drive knowledge transfer to support the local production of pharmaceutical excipients, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and advanced dosage forms such as inhalers, extended-release medications, and dermatological patches.
The academy, he explained, will focus on key areas such as process engineering, regulatory compliance, quality control, and environmental monitoring. It will be equipped with cutting-edge facilities and will offer certification courses in partnership with renowned global organizations including the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), and the International Federation of Pharmacists.
“This initiative strengthens Nigeria’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and places our country firmly on the path toward a more self-reliant healthcare system,” Pate added.
