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Fidson Signs Agreement With 3 Chinese Firms To Tackle HIV In Africa

Fidson Healthcare Plc, a Nigerian pharmaceutical company quoted on the Floor of Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), has signed a cooperation memorandum with Jiangsu Aidea Pharma, Nanjing PharmaBlock, and the China-Africa Development Fund.

According to a notice to the NGX seen by THE WHISTLER the partnership agreement was signed 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.

Other members of the delegate from Nigeria were Dr Babatunde Ipaye and Mr Oshoke Ayebae.

The company noted that through this collaboration, the 4 (four) parties have agreed to leverage their respective strengths to actively establish a new joint venture pharmaceutical plant project in Nigeria.

According to the company, the new project is poised to promote Africa’s self-reliance in healthcare delivery, especially in tackling HIV.

“All parties agreed to share information and resources, jointly explore investment opportunities in the pharmaceutical markets of West African countries and implement investment cooperation at the project level,” it noted.

The company noted that the signing ceremony follows a series of engagements, including a visit by the Chairman of Jiangsu Aidea Pharma – Dr Heliang Fu to Nigeria earlier in the year.

It added that during that visit, Dr. Fu toured the Lekki Free Trade Zone, the chosen site for the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that is set to revolutionise the pharmaceutical industry in Nigeria and the wider African continent.

According to the company, 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.

Dr. 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.”

Dr. Ayebae expressed his optimism about the partnership saying “We eagerly look forward to this collaboration and believe that the complementary strengths of all parties will inject new vitality into the healthcare delivery sector in Africa, particularly addressing the medical needs of over 1.9m HIV-infected individuals in Nigeria, a focus of Aidea Pharma.”

He added that the project is coming at no better time as the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) in Nigeria under the leadership of Dr Temitope Ilori is championing the government’s drive to provide necessary support and the enabling environment for pharmaceutical companies to start local production of Anti-Retroviral drugs (ARVs).

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