The Federal Government has described medical diagnostics as a strategic national asset, stressing the need for Nigeria to strengthen local production, quality assurance and market development to reduce dependence on imported diagnostic products.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, stated this on Wednesday in Abuja while declaring open the 28th Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Guild of Medical Laboratory Directors (GMLD).
Salako, who was represented by the Director and Head of Medical Laboratory Services Division in the ministry, Dr Emeka Elom, said accurate and timely diagnosis remained critical to healthcare delivery, disease surveillance and public health decision-making.
He said achieving diagnostic sovereignty would require more than local production of medical tests, noting that Nigeria also needed technology transfer, research and innovation, effective regulation, sustainable procurement and strategic partnerships.
“The Federal Government recognises diagnostics as a strategic national asset.
“Nigeria’s path towards diagnostic sovereignty requires more than local production; it requires stronger national capacity, technology transfer, research and innovation, effective regulation, sustainable procurement and strategic partnerships that can generate access to quality, affordable and timely diagnostic services,” he said.
The National President of the GMLD, Dr Samuel Fele, called for an end to Nigeria’s heavy dependence on imported diagnostic reagents, consumables and equipment, urging the country to build a competitive local manufacturing industry.
Fele described the theme of the conference, “From Diagnostic Sovereignty to Market Readiness: Building Nigeria’s End-to-End Diagnostics Ecosystem”, as a strategic imperative and a call to action for stakeholders.
“The question is no longer whether Nigeria can produce the diagnostic products, but whether we can establish a competitive, sustainable, innovative, and quality-assured diagnostic industry capable of serving Nigeria and the broader African market.
“That is the essence of market readiness,” he said.
Fele said Nigeria had for years relied heavily on imported diagnostic products, resulting in missed opportunities for local employment and industrial development.
He noted that the African in-vitro diagnostics market, valued at $1.33bn in 2024, alongside growing demand for point-of-care and rapid diagnostic services, presented significant opportunities for Nigerian manufacturers.
The GMLD president, however, stressed that the pursuit of diagnostic sovereignty must not compromise quality.
He called for an end-to-end system linking research, innovation, manufacturing, regulation, quality assurance, distribution, laboratories, healthcare providers, patients and data.
“If any link in this chain is weak, the entire system remains vulnerable,” he said.
Fele also advocated stronger quality management systems, regulatory oversight, proficiency testing and compliance with recognised standards.
“Let me be unequivocal: diagnostic sovereignty must never come at the expense of quality and standards,” he said.
He called for strategic government policies, improved financing, infrastructure, research grants and procurement systems capable of creating predictable demand for locally manufactured diagnostic products that meet established standards.
“Domestic production cannot be sustained without reliable demand,” he said.
Fele urged stakeholders to move beyond years of discussions about import dependence and begin implementing practical solutions.
“We have been hearing this over the years. We have been relying on imported goods, imported this and all that. It has become a cliché. The time has now come to move on into action,” he said.
He added, “Nigeria must not remain merely a consumer of diagnostic technologies. We must research, develop and manufacture.”
