CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
MAPS PILLAR 2: SUPPORT FOR NIGERIAN PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURERS TOWARDS WHO PREQUALIFICATION
CALL OPENS: WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER, 4TH 2026
INFORMATION SESSION: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 11:00 WAT, ONLINE
CLOSING DATE: TUESDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2026, 17:00 WEST AFRICA TIME (WAT)
HOW TO APPLY: SEND THE COMPLETED EOI FORM AND FIVE DOCUMENTS (SECTION 8)

1. About this call
The MANUFACTURING ADVANCEMENTS AND PREQUALIFICATION SUPPORT (MAPS) project is supported by the European Union through Global Gateway, in collaboration with the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC) and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA/NHDIC). MAPS links local excipient manufacturing (Pillar 1) with support to manufacturers of finished medicines (Pillar 2).
Under Pillar 2, MAPS will select between three and five priority products made by Nigerian manufacturers and support them to reach, or come close to, the point of submitting a dossier for WHO prequalification. WHO prequalification opens the door to tenders run by international buyers such as the Global Fund and UNICEF, and to faster registration in other African countries.
Selection also gives weight to what each product will do for Nigeria: more local manufacturing of priority medicines, more skilled jobs, and a larger share of the ECOWAS and wider African market.

2. What selected manufacturers receive?
Selected manufacturers receive technical assistance from experienced WHO prequalification and good manufacturing practice (GMP) experts, funded by MAPS at no fee to the manufacturer.
Support covers:
– a WHO prequalification readiness assessment of the site and the candidate product
– a gap assessment of the quality management system (QMS), GMP and data integrity
– help to plan and carry out corrective and preventive actions (CAPA)
– strengthening of standard operating procedures (SOPs)
– process validation and equipment qualification
– preparation of the product dossier in the Common Technical Document (CTD) format, Modules 1 to 5
– regulatory mentoring through to dossier submission
– links to regional registration routes and to public and pooled buyers
Duration of support: [3 months]. Indicative value of support per manufacturer: [to be covered by MAPS].

3. What manufacturers contribute?
Technical assistance can close gaps in systems, procedures, validation and documentation. It cannot pay for equipment or building works. Selected manufacturers are therefore expected to provide:
– investment to close any gaps in infrastructure found during the assessment, for example in air handling, water systems or power backup
– the cost of a bioequivalence study, where the product needs one
– a named WHO prequalification team with time set aside for the work, and staff for training sessions
– access to the site, records and staff for the assessment and mentoring team
As a rough guide, manufacturers typically fund the cost of infrastructure improvements and, where needed, bioequivalence studies. The amount of each manufacturer’s contribution will be agreed after the gap assessment, based on the gaps found, and confirmed by a board resolution. Manufacturers are not asked to commit an amount at the EOI stage.