Indonesian firm builds Lagos factory, targets 300 jobs

An Indonesian pharmaceutical company, Dexa Group, is building a manufacturing facility in Lagos with plans to create at least 300 jobs for Nigerians when it becomes operational.

The factory, located in Ilupeju, is being developed in partnership with Nigeria's Orange Group under a joint venture known as Orange Dexa Pharmaceuticals.

The facility is expected to commence local production of Boska, a pain-relief medicine, by 2028, following the completion of construction and regulatory processes.

The Director of PT Fonko International Pharmaceuticals, Benny Sutisna Suwarno, disclosed this during a courtesy visit by officials of the Indonesian Embassy in Nigeria.

He said the project was about 80 per cent complete, with the remaining work involving the installation of manufacturing equipment, validation of production processes and product registration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.

According to Suwarno, the factory will initially focus on producing Boska tablets, which have been supplied to the Nigerian market from Indonesia for more than three decades.

He added that the facility would rely predominantly on Nigerian workers, with only one or two Indonesian personnel expected to handle certain management responsibilities.

Suwarno also disclosed that Dexa Group produces approximately 800 million Boska tablets annually for the Nigerian market.

The planned local production is expected to bring pharmaceutical manufacturing closer to consumers, create employment opportunities and strengthen Nigeria's domestic pharmaceutical industry.