Nigerian manufacturer Codix Bio Ltd is stepping up to bridge a looming gap left by cutbacks at the U.S. donor agency USAID.
The company will begin rolling out millions of HIV and malaria test kits this month from its new state-of-the-art plant near Lagos, built in collaboration with South Korean firm SD Biosensor and supported by the World Health Organization.
General Manager Olanrewaju Balaja confirmed the facility can churn out 147 million kits annually, scalable to over 160 million to meet Nigeria’s heavy demand and supply other West and Sub-Saharan African countries.
Nigeria bears the world’s heaviest malaria burden and ranks fourth globally for HIV cases. As U.S. aid shrinks, Codix Bio aims to fill the gap so critical health services don’t falter.
The government and donor agencies like Global Fund are expected to purchase locally-made kits, strengthening homegrown solutions in Africa’s fight against these diseases.
“We have enough capacity to meet the demand — and beyond,” Balaja assured.
