Juliet Jacob 
Prof. Ali Pate speaking at the cooperation meeting in Beijing.
ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, has secured expanded investment commitments from China aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s vaccine production capacity, public health infrastructure and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Prof. Pate met with officials of the Chinese National Health Commission and representatives of leading biopharmaceutical firms on Tuesday, during a working visit focused on technology transfer and supply chain collaboration.
According to the ministry on Wednesday in a statement, discussions centred on improving local vaccine fill-and-finish operations, modernising cold-chain logistics, and enabling Nigerian researchers to participate in joint clinical development projects.
Prof. Pate emphasised that Nigeria must transition from dependency on imports to self-sustaining health production systems.
“For decades, African nations have relied on external manufacturing for essential vaccines and medicines,” he said. “This partnership with China marks a strategic step towards domestic capability and health security for our population of more than 220 million.”
Chinese partners expressed willingness to support facility upgrades at the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) and extend technical training to local scientists and regulatory officers.
Talks also highlighted opportunities for Nigerian medical students to access postgraduate biomedical programmes in Chinese institutions, with focus on immunology, epidemiology and bioengineering.
Health economists say the cooperation could reduce vaccine procurement costs while accelerating regional preparedness for outbreaks.
“Local manufacturing is not merely an economic decision; it is a public health imperative,” Prof. Pate said.
Formal agreements are expected to be finalised in the coming months, pending regulatory alignment between both governments.
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