In response to looming supply shortages from reduced U.S. aid, Nigerian pharmaceutical company Codix Bio Ltd has announced it will begin local manufacture of rapid diagnostic test kits for HIV and malaria at its new facility just outside Lagos. The plant will start operations later this month with an initial capacity of 147 million kits per year, enough to replace much of the testing support previously supplied by USAID and PEPFAR.
During a briefing with reporters, Codix Bio’s General Manager, Olanrewaju Balaja, explained that the facility—built in partnership with South Korea’s SD Biosensor and backed by the World Health Organization—can ramp output over 160 million units annually to meet both domestic needs and regional demand across West and Sub-Saharan Africa.
“Our goal was clear: step in where donor funding is shrinking,” Balaja said. “By matching what USAID and PEPFAR were supplying, we safeguard critical testing programmes for HIV and malaria right here in Nigeria.”
Nigeria carries 27 percent of the world’s malaria burden and ranks fourth globally in HIV prevalence, making reliable, affordable test kits an urgent public-health priority. In 2024, U.S. support to Nigeria’s health sector totaled $740 million, much of it directed toward diagnostics and vaccine efforts. With those contributions now under pressure, local production is seen as a strategic hedge against future funding gaps.
WHO country lead Dr. Amina Yusuf applauded the initiative, noting that “strengthening in-country manufacturing not only reduces reliance on imports but also builds technical expertise and supply-chain resilience.”
Balaja added that Codix Bio is in discussions with the Nigerian government and global health partners—including the Global Fund—to secure bulk purchases of the new kits, ensuring uninterrupted access for clinics and community programmes.
“This facility is more than a factory,” he observed. “It represents a commitment to Nigeria’s health security and a chance to expand our footprint across the region.”
As Codix Bio readies its assembly lines, health officials and philanthropic organisations are hopeful that locally made test kits will help sustain—and ultimately expand—the country’s capacity to diagnose and treat two of its most pressing infectious-disease challenges.