The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), in collaboration with the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN), has handed over the upgraded National External Quality Assessment Laboratory (NEQAL) in Zaria, Kaduna State.

The initiative is a strategic move to boost Nigeria’s laboratory diagnostics, disease prevention and quality assurance systems.

Speaking at the handover ceremony in Zaria on Monday, the director-general of NACA, Temitope Ilori, said the facility was delivered with support from the Global Fund.

Mr Ilori, represented by Mustapha Ya’u, acting director of finance and accounts at NACA, said the project was aimed at strengthening healthcare response across the country.

Similarly, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, said the upgrade represented a critical investment in strengthening healthcare delivery and advancing Nigeria’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mr Tajudeen, represented by the chairman of the Zaria Local Government Area, Jamil Mohammed, said the initiative reflected the federal government’s resolve to improve the health and well-being of Nigerians through strengthened healthcare infrastructure.

The speaker also acknowledged the support of development partners, particularly the Global Fund, in enhancing Nigeria’s laboratory systems and diagnostic capacity for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.

He noted that Nigeria had made significant progress in combating HIV/AIDS through NACA’s coordinated multi-sectoral response but warned that rising new infections in some demographics could threaten the goal of ending the epidemic by 2030.

Mr Tajudeen called for intensified awareness campaigns, stronger prevention strategies, and expanded access to antiretroviral therapy, especially to close gaps in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

The speaker urged MLSCN to work with relevant agencies to ensure the professional, ethical, and competent management of the facility by certified personnel.

In his remarks, the acting registrar and chief executive officer of MLSCN, Donald Ibe Ofili, described the upgraded NEQAL as a game-changer for diagnostic quality, patient safety, and laboratory excellence in Nigeria.

Mr Ofili hailed NACA for its exemplary management of the Global Fund RSSH2 and C19RM grants that made the upgrade possible.

Mr Ofili also acknowledged the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) for supporting the initial take-off of NEQAL in 2009, as well as the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) for sustained technical support.

He further commended the Global Fund for its continued commitment to fighting HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.

He said the upgraded NEQAL positioned Nigeria as a regional hub for laboratory quality assurance in West Africa, contributing to regional health security and diagnostic excellence.

Mr Ofili reiterated that participation in external quality assessment was mandatory for all public and private medical laboratories in Nigeria.

The MLSCN boss called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, development partners, and other stakeholders to build a resilient laboratory system.

(NAN)