Production
Vision: Medicines, machines and materials made in Nigeria to world standards, sold across a continent that trades with itself.
Production is where agriculture, science and technology become jobs and independence. Pharmaceuticals and engineering are the two places where the gap between what Africa uses and what it makes is starkest, and where a single continental market changes the economics.
Where we stand
Established facts. Every one has a numbered source below.
The Dangote refinery in Lekki, Lagos, commissioned in May 2023, reached its full design capacity of 650,000 barrels of crude a day in February 2026.[1]
Africa imports 99% of the vaccines it uses. The African Union and Africa CDC aim for 60% to be made on the continent by 2040.[2]
Nigeria's government aims to produce at least 70% of essential healthcare products locally by 2030. NAFDAC reports that imports of finished medicines fell from 4.03 billion units to 1.13 billion units as of 2025.[3]
The African Continental Free Trade Area links 1.3 billion people in 55 countries, with a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion. The World Bank estimates it could lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty.[4]
What we're building
Vision. Not true yet, and all of it is within reach.
Medicines to world standards
Essential medicines and vaccines made in Nigeria to WHO-prequalified quality, trusted at home and exported across the AfCFTA.
Ingredients, not just packaging
Active pharmaceutical ingredients and key chemicals made locally, so Nigerian factories do more than press imported powder into tablets.
Machines for our own industries
Nigerian engineers design and build processing equipment, spare parts and machine tools for farms, factories and power systems.
"Made in Nigeria" as a mark of quality
Accredited standards bodies and testing labs make a Nigerian label a reason to buy, at home and abroad.
Where we start
Proposed first moves, small enough to begin this year.
A quality mentorship network
Connect experienced quality, regulatory and GMP professionals, many in the diaspora, with Nigerian manufacturers working toward international certification.
An agro-processing equipment catalogue
Document locally built equipment for drying, milling and storage, with specifications and makers, so farmers and processors can buy Nigerian first.
Engineering student challenges
Pose real problems from farms and clinics to engineering students, and help the best designs reach production.
How you can help
Tell us what you know and what you can give. We'll reply personally.
Offer help with production- Pharmacists and regulatory experts
- Mentor manufacturers on GMP, WHO prequalification and quality systems.
- Engineers and makers
- Share designs, judge student challenges, help a workshop scale up.
- Manufacturers
- Tell us what blocks you, and what local suppliers you need.
- Trade and policy specialists
- Explain how small firms can sell across the AfCFTA.
Sources
We checked every link and figure on the date shown. If you find a newer or better source, tell us and we'll update the page.
- 1.
Daba Finance. Inside the Dangote Refinery: the world's largest single-train plant.Accessed 10 October 2026.
- 2.
The EastAfrican. Africa seeks to produce 60pc of its vaccines by 2040.Accessed 10 October 2026.
- 3.
Blueprint. FG targets 70% local drug production by 2030, secures $2 billion for pharma manufacturers, 30 September 2026.Accessed 10 October 2026.
- 4.
World Bank. The African Continental Free Trade Area: Economic and Distributional Effects, 27 July 2020.Accessed 10 October 2026.