ABUJA – The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has called on Chinese businessmen and other industrialists in Nigeria’s health sector to reduce the importation of medical equipment. Instead, he urged them to consider setting up assembly plants within the country to boost local production.

Kalu made the call when he received in audience a delegation from the Royal Meditech Equipments (Nig) Company Limited led by its Director, Gari Li over the weekend in Abuja.

He said that the federal government is currently pursuing a health security programme through industrialization.

Kalu noted that the current economic climate in Nigeria, exacerbated by challenges facing the Naira, is not conducive to extensive importation of goods and services.

He urged the company to consider establishing a facility in Nigeria to produce essential medical equipment, such as ICU ventilators and feeding pumps. This initiative, he emphasized, would not only reduce dependency on imports but also create job opportunities for the unemployed.

He said: “Our nation is currently pursuing health security through industrialization. This initiative emerged from our post-COVID analysis, which highlighted our dependence on provisions from other countries. We realized that essential items were not sourced locally but instead came from across our borders.

“In response, the current administration is implementing policies to prevent such a situation from recurring. These policies aim to bolster our indigenous support systems for healthcare structures. I’m pleased to hear that you’ve been involved since 2010, witnessing firsthand the challenges we faced during the COVID era.”

“The government’s encouragement is aimed at inspiring organizations like yours to expand beyond administrative small business units locally and into establishing assembly facilities that enhance our sense of health security. Based on the diverse range of products you provide, I am confident that, even if we cannot produce everything domestically, we can leverage your expertise to assemble and manufacture select items here in Nigeria.

Given our current economic conditions and the challenges posed by our currency, it is clear that the economic climate does not favor heavy reliance on imports. Therefore, I urge you to incorporate into your long-term or mid-term plans the establishment of a facility in Nigeria. This facility would enable us to locally obtain ICU ventilators, feeding pumps, and other essential medical equipment. We can start with manageable steps, such as constructing and mixing oxygen concentrators, and producing infusion pumps. While it may not be feasible to achieve everything immediately, we can begin to make significant progress with the government’s support.

The federal government has recently approved a substantial fund to support manufacturing in the health sector, and I encourage you to take advantage of this initiative to establish a presence in Nigeria.”

“Through strategic partnerships between indigenous companies and foreign partners, we can establish manufacturing facilities here in Africa, with the support of the government. Since you have the technology, bring it to Africa. The population here is large and growing, providing a substantial market.

By setting up operations here, you will create jobs and make your products more accessible. Additionally, you can take advantage of the African trade agreement, which is opening up trade corridors across the continent, facilitating intra-African trade. I encourage you to consider this for your energy company or any other interests you have.”

Kalu urged the company to capitalize on Nigeria’s substantial lithium deposits, highlighting their commercial viability for building solar systems and related components.

“We possess significant lithium reserves as a solid mineral, often exported to China or other countries. However, we can process it locally to produce components such as solar batteries. This proximity to raw materials offers a comparative advantage, reducing production costs. Our mid- to long-term goal is to develop local processing capabilities. In the short term, we aim to ensure safety, particularly regarding health. While the trading aspect is beneficial in the short term, it is not sustainable long-term. We value your presence in the market and encourage you to consider this opportunity when you return,” he said.

Earlier in his presentation, the Director of the Royal Meditech Equipments (Nig) Company Limited, Gari Li told the deputy speaker that their company has international presence as well as offices in China; South Beach, Miami, US in Mexico City, Mexico and Nairobi, Kenya.

He explained that they have been in Nigeria since 2010 and have offices in Lagos, Kano and Abuja with 14 Chinese and 98 Nigerian as members of staff in the three offices.

“We are into hospital building, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has called on Chinese businessmen and other industrialists in Nigeria’s health sector to reduce the importation of medical equipment. Instead, he urged them to consider setting up assembly plants within the country to boost local production.

Kalu made the call when he received in audience a delegation from the Royal Meditech Equipments (Nig) Company Limited led by its Director, Gari Li over the weekend in Abuja.

He said that the federal government is currently pursuing a health security programme through industrialization.

In a statement signed by Levinus Nwabughiogu, Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, Kalu noted that the current economic climate in Nigeria, exacerbated by challenges facing the Naira, is not conducive to extensive importation of goods and services.

He urged the company to consider establishing a facility in Nigeria to produce essential medical equipment, such as ICU ventilators and feeding pumps. This initiative, he emphasized, would not only reduce dependency on imports but also create job opportunities for the unemployed.

He said: “Our nation is currently pursuing health security through industrialization. This initiative emerged from our post-COVID analysis, which highlighted our dependence on provisions from other countries. We realized that essential items were not sourced locally but instead came from across our borders.

“In response, the current administration is implementing policies to prevent such a situation from recurring. These policies aim to bolster our indigenous support systems for healthcare structures. I’m pleased to hear that you’ve been involved since 2010, witnessing firsthand the challenges we faced during the COVID era.”

“The government’s encouragement is aimed at inspiring organizations like yours to expand beyond administrative small business units locally and into establishing assembly facilities that enhance our sense of health security. Based on the diverse range of products you provide, I am confident that, even if we cannot produce everything domestically, we can leverage your expertise to assemble and manufacture select items here in Nigeria.

Given our current economic conditions and the challenges posed by our currency, it is clear that the economic climate does not favor heavy reliance on imports. Therefore, I urge you to incorporate into your long-term or mid-term plans the establishment of a facility in Nigeria. This facility would enable us to locally obtain ICU ventilators, feeding pumps, and other essential medical equipment. We can start with manageable steps, such as constructing and mixing oxygen concentrators, and producing infusion pumps. While it may not be feasible to achieve everything immediately, we can begin to make significant progress with the government’s support.

The federal government has recently approved a substantial fund to support manufacturing in the health sector, and I encourage you to take advantage of this initiative to establish a presence in Nigeria.”

“Through strategic partnerships between indigenous companies and foreign partners, we can establish manufacturing facilities here in Africa, with the support of the government. Since you have the technology, bring it to Africa. The population here is large and growing, providing a substantial market.

By setting up operations here, you will create jobs and make your products more accessible. Additionally, you can take advantage of the African trade agreement, which is opening up trade corridors across the continent, facilitating intra-African trade. I encourage you to consider this for your energy company or any other interests you have.”

Kalu urged the company to capitalize on Nigeria’s substantial lithium deposits, highlighting their commercial viability for building solar systems and related components.

“We possess significant lithium reserves as a solid mineral, often exported to China or other countries. However, we can process it locally to produce components such as solar batteries. This proximity to raw materials offers a comparative advantage, reducing production costs. Our mid- to long-term goal is to develop local processing capabilities. In the short term, we aim to ensure safety, particularly regarding health. While the trading aspect is beneficial in the short term, it is not sustainable long-term. We value your presence in the market and encourage you to consider this opportunity when you return,” he said.equipping and renovation. We do not only sell, we train doctors. We give sound warranty. We are working with more than 700 hospitals in Nigeria. We are working with nearly all the federal hospitals, teaching hospitals, federal medical centers and specialists hospitals. We are working with many of the state hospitals. We are working with plenty hospitals. Right now we are working with many different ministries for solar. We are working with many different organizations in Nigeria. Government sectors and also private sectors.

“We want to join hands with Your Excellency, to improve, to build more modern hospitals to improve the health delivery in Nigeria for the good people of Nigeria. And also to bring more power to Nigeria through the clean energy solar products”, he said.