Indonesian pharmaceutical company Dexa Group is preparing to start manufacturing its Boska pain-relief tablets in Nigeria in 2028, as part of efforts to expand its operations and reduce dependence on imported medicines.
The company is developing a pharmaceutical factory in Ilupeju, Lagos, which is currently about 80 per cent complete, according to the Director of PT Fonko International Pharmaceuticals, Benny Suwarno.
Suwarno disclosed the development on Saturday during a visit by officials of the Indonesian Embassy in Nigeria, where he outlined the group’s investments, research activities and plans for the Nigerian market.
He said the construction phase of the facility was nearing completion, with the installation of manufacturing equipment, testing of production processes and regulatory approval from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) still required before production could begin.
The factory is expected to provide about 300 jobs, with Nigerians making up most of its workforce. Suwarno said only one or two Indonesian employees would be needed to oversee management of the plant.
He explained that Dexa had previously manufactured Boska in Indonesia and shipped the tablets to Nigeria. Establishing a local production base would bring manufacturing closer to consumers and strengthen the company’s presence in the country.
The facility will initially focus on Boska, which Suwarno described as one of Dexa’s major brands in Nigeria. He said the company currently produces about 800 million tablets annually for the Nigerian market.
Boska has been sold in Nigeria for more than 30 years, according to the director.
Suwarno also stressed that obtaining NAFDAC registration was a necessary step for medicines manufactured for sale in Nigeria, making regulatory approval a key part of the factory’s preparations.
The planned investment is expected to contribute to Nigeria’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity while creating employment opportunities and reducing the need to bring the product in from abroad.
