How does Nigeria mass produce this easy-to-use coronavirus test kits?

By Ayo Akinfe

(1) With a population of 200m, Nigeria is never going to have enough coronavirus test centres

(2) Even if you have one centre in each of our 774 local government areas it will never be enough. These centres will simply be swamped and overwhelmed

(3) Our only solution is to manufacture these test kits. Kind of similar to pregnancy test kits, they are easy to use and provide instant results

(4) This kit uses the Rapid Blot-Dot technique to detect coronavirus positive cases within 15 minutes. The technique looks for antibodies created in the body in response to the virus infection

(5) Importing them is simply unrealistic. No nation in the world has enough testing kits for its citizenry so asking them to provide for anyone else is simply delusional

(6) Bangladesh has started mass producing these kits. Do you know they only cost about $3 each

(7) This is where the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry needs to stand up and be counted. Someone like Jimi Agbaje has got to take up the mantle and mass produce these kits

(8) Our government should offer land for a factory, dedicated power supply, water, security and interest-free loans if needed to enable this project get off the ground

(9) Is there anything stopping Nigeria from becoming the world’s leading supplier of these kits?

(10) With no one wanting our oil anymore and the price almost collapsing below production costs, this is how we are going to have to think going forward