EU, France Support Nigeria with €10.2m to Enhance Medicine Manufacturing and Health Systems

The Federal Government has entered into a €10.2 million strategic partnership with the European Union (EU) and France to strengthen Nigeria’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and improve local health systems.

The agreement, announced under the EU’s Global Gateway Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies (MAV+) Initiative, was disclosed in a statement issued by the EU Delegation to Nigeria on Sunday.

Titled “Quality Uplift for Advancing Local Industry in Medicine Standards (QUALIMED Nigeria),” the project seeks to expand local production of quality-assured medicines, enhance access to essential health technologies, and foster research-driven innovation in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical ecosystem.

The initiative will also enhance the capacity of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) to serve as a regional reference centre for bioequivalence studies, stability testing, and quality control—while deepening collaboration with sister institutions in Rwanda and Senegal.

According to the EU statement, the project will be implemented over 44 months (2025–2028) with €10 million provided by the EU and an additional €200,000 from the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Implementation partners include the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, NIPRD, and other local stakeholders.

Speaking during the signing ceremony at the Nigeria–EU Health Investment Forum in Abuja, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Gautier Mignot, said the partnership underscores the EU’s long-standing collaboration with Nigeria and West Africa.

“By combining the strength of our EU–Nigeria and EU–ECOWAS partnerships with the dynamism of our private sectors, we can make healthcare in Nigeria more sustainable, accessible, and affordable, while creating jobs and opportunities,” Mignot stated.

France’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Marc Fonbaustier, reaffirmed his country’s support through France’s Global Health Strategy, emphasizing equity, solidarity, and human dignity.

“I am proud that France, through the French Development Agency, is contributing to the QUALIMED Nigeria project under the Team Europe initiative. It reflects our shared values and commitment to building stronger health systems and improving access to essential medicines,” Fonbaustier said.

The Director-General of NIPRD, Dr. Obi Adigwe, highlighted that the initiative demonstrates the power of strategic partnerships in advancing Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector and promoting sustainable local health systems.

“Our goal is to ensure access to high-quality healthcare while driving socioeconomic growth, job creation, capacity building, and technology transfer,” Adigwe noted.

Through laboratory modernization, technology transfer, and workforce training, the QUALIMED project aims to strengthen Nigeria’s self-reliance in medicine and vaccine production, enhance regulatory compliance, and promote gender equity in biomanufacturing and research.

Expected results include upgraded NIPRD laboratories meeting international standards, improved Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliance, strengthened clinical research networks, and deeper integration of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical sector into global innovation and production systems.