Medical tests key to Nigeria’s health security, says FG - Punch Newspapers

Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako. Credit: MHSW

The Federal Government has described medical diagnostics as a strategic national asset, saying Nigeria must strengthen local production, quality assurance and market development to reduce dependence on imported diagnostic products. The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, stated this on Wednesday in Abuja while declaring open the 28th Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Guild of Medical Laboratory Directors. Salako, represented by the Director and Head of Medical Laboratory Services Division in the ministry, Dr Emeka Elom, said accurate and timely diagnosis was critical to healthcare delivery, disease surveillance and public health decisions. He said achieving diagnostic sovereignty required more than producing medical tests locally, stressing the need for technology transfer, research, effective regulation, sustainable procurement and strategic partnerships. “The Federal Government recognises diagnostics as a strategic national asset. “Nigeria’s path towards diagnostic sovereignty requires more than local production; it requires stronger national capacity, technology transfer, research and innovation, effective regulation, sustainable procurement and strategic partnerships that can generate access to quality, affordable and timely diagnostic services,” he said. The National President of the GMLD, Dr Samuel Fele, immediately called on Nigeria to end its heavy dependence on imported diagnostic reagents, consumables and equipment by building a competitive local manufacturing industry. Fele said the conference theme, “From Diagnostic Sovereignty to Market Readiness: Building Nigeria’s End-to-End Diagnostics Ecosystem,” was a strategic imperative and a call to action for stakeholders. “The question is no longer whether Nigeria can produce the diagnostic products, but whether we can establish a competitive, sustainable, innovative, and quality-assured diagnostic industry capable of serving Nigeria and the broader African market. “That is the essence of market readiness,” he said. Fele said Nigeria had for too long relied on imported diagnostic products, resulting in lost opportunities for local employment and industrial development. He said the African in-vitro diagnostics market, valued at $1.33bn in 2024, coupled with rising demand for point-of-care and rapid diagnostics, presented opportunities for Nigerian manufacturers. The GMLD president, however, stressed that diagnostic sovereignty must not compromise quality, saying the country needed an end-to-end system connecting research, innovation, manufacturing, regulation, quality assurance, distribution, laboratories, healthcare providers, patients and data. “If any link in this chain is weak, the entire system remains vulnerable,” he said. Fele called for stronger quality management systems, regulatory oversight, proficiency testing and compliance with recognised standards. “Let me be unequivocal: diagnostic sovereignty must never come at the expense of quality and standards,” he said. He also called for strategic government policies, financing, infrastructure, research grants and procurement systems that would create predictable demand for locally manufactured products that meet established standards. “Domestic production cannot be sustained without reliable demand,” he said. Fele urged stakeholders to move beyond years of discussions on import dependence and begin implementing practical solutions. “We have been hearing this over the years. We have been relying on imported goods, imported this and all that. It has become a cliché. The time has now come to move on into action,” he said. He added, “Nigeria must not remain merely a consumer of diagnostic technologies. We must research, develop and manufacture.” Renowned virologist and Chairman of Biovaccines Nigeria Limited, Prof. Oyewale Tomori, also said Nigeria needed a viable market for locally manufactured medical diagnostics to sustain domestic production. “You cannot have a king without his subjects. The first thing is to understand what the market needs and work to meet the need. We must get the market ready. The ready market will be a consumer for products produced locally,” he said. Tomori also raised concerns over Nigeria’s prolonged efforts to establish local vaccine manufacturing and urged stakeholders to remove institutional barriers to domestic production. “There are individuals, and just like you have in your association, we have individuals in all these ministries who are stumbling blocks to progress,” he said. The keynote speaker, Dr Mustapha Gidado, Executive Director of KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, said diagnostic sovereignty should ultimately be measured by its impact on patients. “Neither sovereignty nor market readiness should be a final destination on its own. The final destination must be the patient,” he said. Gidado said sovereignty did not mean Nigeria must manufacture every diagnostic instrument and reagent, but should have the capacity to determine its needs, assess technologies and ensure quality. “Diagnostic sovereignty does not mean that Nigeria must manufacture every instrument, every reagent and component domestically,” he said. He warned against lowering standards in the name of local production. “Sovereignty is not substandard. Sovereignty is not a quality reduction. Sovereignty is matching the standard,” he said. Gidado also advocated a connected national diagnostic network rather than isolated laboratories, saying patients, samples and results should move efficiently across the health system. He said predictable demand was necessary to encourage investment in local manufacturing. “If we don’t build trust, if we don’t build demand, you cannot ask individuals to put resources into manufacturing when the market cannot be guaranteed,” he said. Meanwhile, medical laboratory scientist, Prof. Dennis Agbonlahor, recalled how an investigation into mysterious deaths in an Edo community with Tomori led to the identification of Lassa fever. “We did not actually find out the cause of Lassa fever. We were just to find out what was killing people. It turned out to be Lassa fever,” he said. Agbonlahor said the experience demonstrated the importance of medical laboratories in identifying infectious diseases and responding to public health threats. He also called for unity within the medical laboratory profession, saying internal disagreements had affected professional interaction in recent years. “Until the warring factions see themselves, embrace themselves and come together, no external person is going to unite them,” he said. The conference brought together medical laboratory professionals, researchers, policymakers, regulators, manufacturers and other stakeholders to discuss local production, quality assurance, regulation, procurement and access to diagnostic services. Nigeria’s push for diagnostic sovereignty comes amid concerns over its dependence on imported medical products and the need to strengthen domestic health manufacturing, laboratory quality systems, and national preparedness for disease outbreaks.   Deborah Tolu-Kolawole Deborah Tolu-Kolawole is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with four years of experience covering Nigeria’s vast education sector as well as related areas such as politics, health, security, and labour. She blends rigorous reporting with digital storytelling to bring clarity and insight to complex issues affecting learners, educators, and policymakers. Deborah was a nominee for The Future Awards Africa (TFAA) Prize in Journalism, recognising her impactful reporting and contributions to Nigerian media. Her work reflects strong newsroom experience, editorial judgment, and a commitment to accurate, audience-focused journalism. In addition to her reporting, she is fluent in multiple languages and serves as a contributing member of The Punch editorial board.

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