A state-of-the-art pharmaceutical company specializing in the production of medication and diagnostic kits for chronic diseases including diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular conditions is set for commissioning in Ogun State this Friday.
The Chief Executive Officer of Codix Bio Pharmaceutical Company, Mr. Sammy Ogunjimi, revealed this during a courtesy visit to Governor Dapo Abiodun at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Mr. Ogunjimi disclosed that the new factory is strategically located along the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode Expressway and would serve not just Nigeria but the entire African continent.
“Codix Bio began operations in 2008 with a focus on cardio-metabolic health—diabetes, hypertension, and heart-related diseases,” he said. “When we came to Nigeria, the issue wasn’t just treatment but diagnosis. People weren’t getting properly diagnosed due to lack of knowledge. In 2009, we facilitated the first guidelines for diabetes diagnosis in Nigeria.”
According to him, the company has evolved from merely providing treatment to prioritizing accurate and early diagnosis. “We’ve built a reputation by addressing an area most had ignored,” he added.
Ogunjimi emphasized Africa’s over-dependence on imported test kits, noting: “Ninety-nine percent of the test kits used in Africa are imported. It is time we begin to manufacture here to reduce dependency and improve healthcare outcomes.”
He further revealed that the soon-to-be-commissioned factory will be Africa’s first major Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kit production center, benefiting from a technology transfer partnership with SG Biosensor and support from the World Health Organization.
“This project is the only one of its kind. The products from this facility will serve all of Africa. We’re starting with HIV and malaria RDTs,” he said. “We’re also working on establishing a second plant within 18 months for contract manufacturing of generic medications under various brands.”
As a native of Sagamu, Ogunjimi said he intentionally brought the investment home due to the favorable business environment provided by the current administration.
“I couldn’t keep doing business only in Lagos. Ogun is my home, and I’ve used my influence to ensure we bring these industries here,” he noted. “Even the plastic components for our test kits—currently imported—will now be produced locally.”
He also mentioned that Codix Bio has donated medical products to several Primary Healthcare Centres across the state.
In response, Governor Dapo Abiodun applauded the initiative and emphasized the need to invest in human capital to support Ogun’s growing industrial landscape.
“We must build capacity for the knowledge economy that will sustain these industries,” Abiodun stated. “Ogun State is the education capital of Nigeria. We must align our educational curriculum with the needs of investors to avoid a mismatch in manpower.”
The governor warned against the danger of a talent gap, saying: “If we’re not prepared, we’ll have to source labor from outside the country, and that’s not ideal.”
He commended Codix Bio’s capacity-building partnership with the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital and highlighted his administration’s efforts to revamp healthcare training, including transforming the state’s School of Nursing into a degree-awarding College of Nursing.
“We’re renovating over 100 Primary Healthcare Centres and plan to rehabilitate at least 70 more. Our target is to have 236 functioning PHCs—one per ward—so every resident has access to care through a hub-and-spoke model,” he said.
Governor Abiodun praised the significance of the factory, describing it as a major stride in Nigeria’s healthcare sovereignty.
“This will be Nigeria’s first large-scale RDT production plant and the second-largest in sub-Saharan Africa. It is indeed commendable,” he said.
Reflecting on the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, he added: “The pandemic exposed the fragility of our healthcare system. We scrambled for test kits, ventilators, and vaccines. This factory is part of the solution that ensures we are better prepared in the future.”
The governor assured of continuous government collaboration with serious investors. “We’re committed to providing infrastructure aligned with our ISEYA development pillars to ensure people can live, work, and thrive here.”
He concluded, “This investment ticks the right boxes. We’re proud to be partners in a project that promises not only economic but life-saving impacts.”
