Ogun State has recorded another industrial milestone as Governor Dapo Abiodun on Friday commissioned Nigeria’s first large-scale In-vitro Diagnostic (IVD) test production facility — a feat that positions the state at the forefront of healthcare innovation in West Africa.
The facility, CODIX BIO Limited, situated along the Sagamu Expressway, is only the second of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is built to manufacture rapid diagnostic test kits for diseases such as HIV, Malaria, and Hepatitis B and C, with a production capacity of 147 million kits annually.
Governor Abiodun, while commissioning the project, described the event as a transformative leap in the country’s healthcare landscape. “Today, we open a transformative chapter in Nigeria’s healthcare system with the commissioning of CODIX BIO Limited,” he stated.
“It is a bold declaration that Nigeria is ready to strengthen its public health infrastructure and significantly reduce our dependence on imported diagnostic tools,” the governor added.
He linked the project to the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying, “This initiative is aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of our President, who is committed to unlocking the healthcare value chain through local manufacturing and reducing importation.”
According to a 2023 World Health Organization (WHO) report cited by the governor, over 90% of diagnostic kits used in Africa are imported from Europe, Asia, and North America. Abiodun emphasized that the new facility would save valuable foreign exchange, create employment, and enhance disease detection and management across the country.
“This investment by CODIX BIO speaks volumes about the industrial vision of this administration,” Abiodun remarked. “It will help in job creation, capacity building, and improved access to healthcare.”
Speaking at the event, Nigeria’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, lauded the governor’s developmental strides. “Your Excellency, I commend the incredible leadership you’ve shown in industrializing Ogun State. The ecosystem you are creating here will serve as a model for medical manufacturing growth in Nigeria,” he said.
He added, “I hope other states, including mine, can learn a few things from what you have done.”
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, praised the state’s business-friendly climate and highlighted the Gateway International Airport project as another testament to Abiodun’s visionary leadership.
Dr. Alausa urged CODIX BIO Limited to expand its impact by transforming the facility into a learning hub. “You have the potential to train the next generation of biomedical engineers, lab scientists, pharmacists, and quality assurance experts. Collaborate with our universities, polytechnics, and research institutions to deepen Nigeria’s health innovation ecosystem,” he advised.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of CODIX BIO Limited, Mr. Sammy Ogunjimi, revealed that the factory is set to be one of the largest and most advanced diagnostic kit plants in Africa. “Our goal is not just to serve Nigeria but also the ECOWAS region and the entire continent,” he stated.
He added that CODIX BIO was recently selected under the WHO H-TAP program, a partnership involving the World Health Organization, SD Biosensor, and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP). “In Geneva, CODIX BIO was announced as the first African factory selected for regional rapid diagnostic test kit manufacturing under this global initiative. It means we’re now within WHO’s technical support network,” Ogunjimi said.
Ogunjimi also expressed gratitude to Governor Abiodun for granting a 30% discount on operational charges, a gesture he said made the facility’s establishment possible. “This project couldn’t have been actualized without the enabling support of the Ogun State Government,” he said.
