Fidson Healthcare Plc has entered a partnership with three Chinese firms to establish a new pharmarceutical plant project in the Lekki free trade zone as part of measures to tackle HIV in Nigeria.
The company disclosed this in a statement on the NGX signed by its secretary, Yomi Adebanjo where it noted that the collaboration would encourage self-reliance in Africa’s healthcare delivery in terms of the fight against HIV.
The three Chinese companies in question are; Jiangsu Aidea Pharma, Nanjing PharmaBlock and China-Africa Development Fund in Beijing.
The signing ceremony was led by Dr. Fidelis Ayebae, Founder and Managing Director of Fidson Healthcare Plc, alongside key Nigerian delegates, including Dr. Babatunde Ipaye and Mr. Oshoke Ayebae.
According to the statement, the joint venture between the four companies will explore investment opportunities within the pharmaceutical markets of West Africa, sharing resources and information to foster healthcare improvements across the continent. This it stated will result in the building of a manufacturing plant in the Lekki free trade zone.
The statement reads, “Fidson Healthcare Plc, the leading Nigerian pharmaceutical company signed a Strategic Cooperation Memorandum with Jiangsu Aidea Pharma, Nanjing PharmaBlock, and the China-Africa Development Fund in Beijing, China on Monday, September 2, 2024. The signing ceremony took place during a visit by a team from Nigeria led by Dr. Fidelis Ayebae, the founder and Managing Director of Fidson Healthcare Plc.”
“The partnership between Fidson and the Chinese firms is a sterling example of international cooperation aimed at tackling pressing medical challenges. The upcoming manufacturing facility will become a hub for pharmaceutical excellence, leveraging the Lekki Free Trade Zone’s strategic location and comprehensive infrastructure to foster economic growth and healthcare improvement.”
It also noted that the agreement follows a series of engagement with the Chinese firms most notably the Chairman of Aidea Pharma, – Dr. Heliang Fu who toured the proposed site of the plant in the Lekki, LFZ earlier in the year.
Dr. Heliang Fu said, “This collaboration marks an important step for Chinese Pharma players in their commitment to global medical cooperation. By integrating our expertise and experience in the field of innovative drugs, we are confident in bringing greater well-being to African patients.”
China-Africa partnership across sectors
The signing ceremony took place on September 2nd, 2024, just before the commencement of the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation summit which took place in China earlier in the month. The summit was an ideal opportunity for Nigerian firm across diverse sectors to partner with Chinese counterparts and such partnership were notable in the oil and gas industry and in infrastructure space.