The Republic
Companies

PharmaceuticalsPharmaceuticals·military·Founded 1976 (Lagos)

Swiss Pharma Nigeria Limited (Swipha)

Status: Operating (Acino Pharma West Africa).

Ownership

Foreign-controlled · Switzerland

Parent / controller: Acino International AG (Zurich)

Swipha was founded in 1976 as a joint Swiss–Nigerian indigenisation vehicle; in March 2018 Acino International AG acquired 100% of the equity, making Swipha a wholly Swiss-owned subsidiary again.

Why it is on record

One of the early post-indigenisation pharmaceutical manufacturers; first WHO-GMP-certified solid-dose facility in Nigeria (2014, Ilupeju plant). Acquired by Acino International AG (Switzerland) in 2018.

Headquarters

5 Dopemu Road, Agege, Lagos; main plant at Ilupeju.

Key dates

  • 1976Swiss Pharma Nigeria Limited incorporated under indigenisation arrangements.
  • 2014Ilupeju plant becomes first Nigerian solid-dose pharmaceutical facility to achieve WHO-GMP certification.
  • Mar 2018Acquired by Acino International AG of Switzerland.

Deep dive

Swiss Pharma Nigeria Limited (Swipha), founded in 1976, was Nigeria's longest-standing Swiss-affiliated pharma manufacturer. The 2018 acquisition of Swipha by Acino Pharma AG (Switzerland) for an undisclosed sum was one of the larger inbound Swiss pharma transactions of the late 2010s and consolidated Swipha's plant in Acino's West African production footprint.

Methodology

Tier 1 · primary

Courts. Gazettes. National archives.

Tier 2 · corroborating

OCCRP. HRW. BudgIT. TheCable.

Tier 4 · tertiary, flagged

Wikipedia only where primary is pending. Always labelled.