Project Overview
In pursuit of its mandate to promote value addition, import substitution, and industrial utilization of Nigeria’s raw materials, the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) initiated the Optimization of the Artemisia Tea Pilot Plant as part of its strategic health and agro-industrial innovation programs.
Pilot cultivation of Artemisia annua was successfully conducted across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Niger, and Kano States, yielding promising results. Laboratory analyses conducted by the NAFDAC Laboratory in Kaduna and the Nigerian Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) Laboratory in Lagos confirmed the presence of artemisinin content at commercially viable levels — 94% in the FCT, 96% in Niger State, and 92% in Kano State.
Following these encouraging outcomes, a pilot production plant for Artemisia-based tea formulations has been installed and test-run at the RMRDC Research and Demonstration Plant Complex (RDPC), Abuja. The facility is currently undergoing process optimization to ensure efficiency, quality consistency, and scalability for commercial production. Registration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is also in progress.
The project has significant socio-economic potential — with capacity to create employment opportunities, reduce Nigeria’s dependency on imported anti-malarial products, and save substantial foreign exchange while supporting the nation’s public health objectives through local production of herbal therapeutics.
Timeline: Ongoing (40% Completed)
Location: RMRDC Research and Demonstration Plant Complex, Airport Road, Abuja
Status: Ongoing
