The Federal Government has commenced a nationwide diabetes screening and training programme, beginning with the deployment of over 77,000 locally manufactured glucose monitoring devices to primary healthcare centres and diagnosed patients across the country.
The large-scale initiative, flagged off this week in the North-Central region, aims to screen five million Nigerians in all 774 Local Government Areas, as part of efforts to curb the growing burden of diabetes and strengthen early detection.
The exercise follows the government’s procurement of Nigeria-made OnPoint Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems, produced by Colexa Biosensor Ltd at its Lagos facility.
Speaking at the launch, the National Desk Officer for Diabetes at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Alayo Sopekan, described diabetes as one of the country’s fastest-spreading silent illnesses. He warned that millions of Nigerians are living with the disease unknowingly.
“We have many Nigerians living with diabetes—some are aware, many are not. This programme is designed to identify those affected early, improve access to care, reduce cost, and strengthen our local capacity in line with government’s commitment to unlocking the healthcare value chain,” he said.
According to the Ministry, each primary healthcare centre will receive diagnostic kits and monitoring devices to support ongoing community-level treatment and follow-up.
Colexa Biosensor, whose products are being deployed nationwide, applauded the government for prioritising local manufacturers in the execution of national health interventions.
The company’s Managing Director, Pharm. Kingsley Aguoru, said the partnership reflects growing confidence in Nigeria’s biomedical manufacturing sector.
“This collaboration shows the Federal Government believes in Nigerian manufacturing capacity. At Colexa, we are committed to providing high-quality, reliable diagnostic tools that support early detection and long-term diabetes management,” Aguoru stated.
The rollout aligns with the Federal Government’s medical relief and supply-chain reform agenda, which focuses on reducing the cost of essential health commodities and improving diagnostic services nationwide.
Training for health workers and community-based screening will continue across the six geopolitical zones in the coming weeks.
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