Nigeria Secures Discounted Diagnostics Deal with China to Boost Health Reforms

By Emmanuel Kwada

Nigeria’s health sector is making significant strides on the global stage as the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has secured a groundbreaking discounted diagnostics deal with PlusLife Diagnostics in China.

The agreement, facilitated through the UN StopTB Global Drug Facility, aims to enhance the country’s capacity for tuberculosis and non-communicable disease (NCD) testing, marking a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s ongoing health reforms.

The announcement was made during the Sino-Africa Healthcare Cooperation Forum 2025 in Beijing, where Minister Pate addressed a high-profile gathering, including international stakeholders and investors.

The deal includes the provision of advanced diagnostic equipment at reduced costs, with PlusLife Diagnostics committing to establish local manufacturing in Nigeria by 2028. This move underscores rising investor confidence in the country’s health sector, bolstered by President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Speaking at the forum, Prof. Pate described the agreement as a “transformational step toward decentralizing diagnostics and expanding access to quality testing through our Primary Health Care system.”

The initiative aligns with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), which seeks to eliminate catastrophic out-of-pocket healthcare spending and unlock the healthcare value chain for long-term sustainability.

The discounted deal is a direct result of President Tinubu’s Executive Order, which removes taxes and import duties on pharmaceutical raw materials, diagnostic equipment, vaccine production inputs, and related healthcare manufacturing lines.

This policy has catalyzed investment momentum, positioning Nigeria as an emerging hub for diagnostic innovation, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and health technology scale-up in Africa.

The health reforms, anchored on the sector-wide approach (SWAp) framework, are gaining international recognition. At the forum, Pate emphasized that strategic diplomacy and reform-backed policies are aligning Nigeria’s health development with industrial growth, driving economic expansion.

The collaboration with China, supported by the UN StopTB Global Drug Facility, reflects a growing partnership aimed at strengthening preparedness and expanding access to lifesaving care.

As Nigeria moves away from fragmented financing approaches, the success of the SWAp framework could serve as a model for other large countries, according to Susan De, deputy director for health and nutrition at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Ethiopia Office. She noted that Nigeria’s federated model presents a bold opportunity to accelerate life-saving innovations, particularly for women and girls.

With local manufacturing set to commence by 2028, the deal with PlusLife Diagnostics is expected to create jobs, reduce dependency on imported equipment, and lower healthcare costs for millions of Nigerians.