FG Strikes Discounted Medical Diagnostics Deal, Gains Investment Commitment in China

The Federal Government has wrapped up high-level talks in China, securing a landmark discounted diagnostics agreement and attracting renewed investor commitments to Nigeria’s pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing industries.

The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare announced this on Wednesday via its official X handle, noting that the developments mark visible progress in the country’s ongoing health sector reform agenda.

During a visit to PlusLife Diagnostics’ corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Guangzhou, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, finalised deals for the mass procurement of heavily discounted Point-of-Care diagnostic equipment for tuberculosis and other non-communicable diseases through the UN StopTB Global Drug Facility.

According to the ministry, the agreement aligns with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, designed to expand access to affordable testing, reduce catastrophic out-of-pocket costs, and strengthen the healthcare value chain for long-term resilience.

In addition, PlusLife pledged to establish a local manufacturing plant in Nigeria between 2026 and 2028 — a move seen as a vote of confidence in the country’s reform-driven business environment under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Pate described the outcomes as “a transformational milestone” in Nigeria’s push to decentralise diagnostics and expand access to essential testing through the primary healthcare network.

“With the cost efficiency of PlusLife technology, we can test more people and save more lives using the same resources,” he said.

He further credited the investment surge to President Tinubu’s Executive Order that removed taxes and import duties on pharmaceutical raw materials, diagnostic equipment, vaccines, and related health manufacturing inputs.

“This order is already delivering results,” Pate added. “Global partners now see Nigeria as a viable hub for innovation, production, and growth in the healthcare value chain.”

Speaking at the Sino-Africa Healthcare Cooperation Forum 2025 in Beijing — organised by the Nigerian Embassy in partnership with CEIBS, AFKMED, and VCBeat — Pate emphasised that macroeconomic and health reforms were now working hand in hand to align industrial policy with public health goals.

He said Nigeria was steadily emerging as Africa’s leading centre for diagnostic innovation, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and health technology expansion — boosting national preparedness, improving access to quality care, and positioning the health sector as a key driver of economic growth.