NEPZA LICENSES HARVESTFIELD FTZ TO SLASH MEDICAL IMPORTS, CREATE JOBS.
By Raymond Enoch
In a bold move set to redefine Nigeria’s healthcare manufacturing landscape, the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) has officially presented the Declaration of Licence and Operation Licence to promoters of the newly approved Harvestfield Free Trade Zone (FTZ), a specialised industrial hub dedicated to medical products manufacturing.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony in Abuja, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NEPZA, Olufemi Ogunyemi, described the development as a strategic milestone aimed at drastically reducing Nigeria’s reliance on imported medical supplies.
According to him, Harvestfield FTZ is deliberately structured to address critical deficits in the health sector while positioning Nigeria as a competitive exporter of healthcare products.
“Harvestfield FTZ is strategic and focused on addressing key deficits in the health sector. This opens up a new opportunity for the country to become an exporter of health products,” Ogunyemi stated.
He urged medical investors to take advantage of Nigeria’s free trade zones framework to deepen local production capacity, boost value addition, and strengthen the country’s healthcare supply chain resilience.
The NEPZA boss further emphasised that the Authority remains committed to trade and investment facilitation in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to transform Nigeria into an export-oriented economy through strategic industrialisation.
Providing further insight into the project’s national significance, Dr. Abdu Mukthar, Presidential and Federal Ministry of Health Representative, revealed that the initiative stems from the Presidential Executive Order on Local Manufacturing of Healthcare Products signed in 2024 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Mukthar, who also serves as National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative to Unlock Healthcare Value Chains (PVAC), disclosed that the world’s largest insecticide net manufacturer, Vestergaard, has partnered with Nigerian business group Harvestfield through their joint venture, SNG Health, to anchor operations within the zone.
The partnership will see the production of 10 million dual-insecticide treated nets annually, with an estimated 600 direct jobs expected to be created in Ogun State. The project represents an initial investment of $30 million, alongside additional financial commitments from smaller partners.
The new facility is scheduled to commence production in April 2026 and is projected to supply 30 percent of Nigeria’s insecticide-treated net demand in its first phase.
With Nigeria accounting for approximately 27 percent of the global malaria burden and nearly 30 percent of global malaria deaths annually, the initiative is poised to make a significant impact on public health outcomes.
Industry observers note that beyond job creation and foreign direct investment, the Harvestfield FTZ signals a decisive policy shift — from dependency to domestic capability — in one of the country’s most critical sectors.
As Nigeria intensifies efforts to strengthen healthcare value chains, the licensing of Harvestfield FTZ may well mark the beginning of a new industrial chapter where health security meets economic transformation.
