Market Access as the Missing Link: How Structured and Pooled Procurement Can Unlock Nigeria’s Health Manufacturing Potential

Abstract

Background: Nigeria is on the verge of meeting local manufacturing capacity for malaria commodities like ACTs, RDTs, LLINs, and APIs. Despite meeting significant portions of national demand in theory, manufacturers face restricted market access driven by fragmented procurement structures, donor dominance, and stringent WHO-PQ requirements. Aim: This study examines how procurement dynamics shape industrial outcomes and identifies reforms needed to unlock domestic manufacturing potential. Methods: The study was based on qualitative synthesis, conducted using the complete set of seven technical briefs and readiness assessment reports from the Enhancing Local Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management Project, an initiative of PVAC and NMEP, with the support of the World Bank IMPACT project. Data were analysed across the following procurement domains: governance, market structure, quality pathways, financing mechanisms, and utilisation trends. Comparative insights were drawn from countries like India, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh. Results: Findings show that donor-funded procurement accounts for 70–90% of malaria commodity purchasing and overwhelmingly favours WHO-PQ imports, excluding local firms despite adequate capacity and improving regulatory readiness. Fragmented federal–state procurement, slow payment cycles, and a lack of multi-year demand visibility suppress domestic investment. Input dependency and limited PQ-relevant laboratory infrastructure further constrain scale-up. Conclusion: Market access is the primary bottleneck in Nigeria’s health manufacturing ecosystem. Structured procurement reforms, tiered market access pathways, and strengthened regulatory/laboratory infrastructure are essential to transition from import dependence to domestic manufacturing resilience.