Africa Business Review
Nigeria’s Fidson Strengthens Japan Ties at TICAD9 for Healthcare Growth
Fidson Healthcare Plc has signed a new memorandum of understanding with Japanese firm, Ohara Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., aimed at deepening their strategic partnership and boosting local pharmaceutical capacity in Nigeria.
The agreement, announced in a filing to the Nigerian Exchange on September 3, 2025, builds on years of collaboration between both companies, which was further cemented during the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9).
Fidson disclosed that the partnership could see Ohara support its planned capital raise while offering technical expertise to enhance local production of specialized medicines. This is expected to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported drugs and improve access to quality healthcare solutions.
A Fidson delegation led by Managing Director and CEO Abiola Adebayo, Finance Director Imokha Ayebae, and Business Development and Marketing Director Oshoke Ayebae, represented the company at TICAD9, reaffirming the partnership first established in 2019.
Background
In July 2019, Ohara Pharmaceutical increased its stake in Fidson to 21.75% through a Rights Issue, creating a capital and business alliance. Since then, the two firms have collaborated on improving production capacity and knowledge transfer, particularly in pediatric oncology and generic medicines.
Comments
Speaking at TICAD9, Fidson CEO Abiola Adebayo described the expanded alliance as a milestone for the company:
“Putting this strategic alliance on a world stage like TICAD emphasizes that the Fidson-Ohara collaboration has come to stay. The intention of Ohara to deepen its commitment will significantly scale up Fidson’s operations, especially in critical areas such as API production and healthcare innovations.”
Dr. Seiji Ohara, President and CEO of Ohara Pharmaceutical, also highlighted the benefits of the agreement, stating that the strengthened partnership would support Fidson’s growth while improving access to innovative healthcare solutions across Nigeria and Africa.
