Ojoma Akor
DCL Laboratory Products Ltd marked its 20th anniversary over the weekend, with plans to further transform the laboratory and diagnostic landscape across the region.
The event, held in Abuja, Nigeria, drew top health sector stakeholders.
The Group Managing Director of DCL Group, Dr. Anyanwu Okechukwu, said it has been 20 years of innovation, resilience, growth, and commitment to advancing healthcare diagnostics in West Africa.
He said, “This milestone is more than an anniversary; it is a reflection of purpose, impact, and the future ahead. In-Vitro Diagnostics, or IVD, is the foundation of modern medicine. It provides the evidence for clinical decisions, guides treatment, supports disease surveillance, and shapes public health responses. Over 70% of medical decisions globally are informed by laboratory results, and without diagnosis, healthcare becomes uncertain, reactive, and costly.”
He said that in West Africa, where the burden of infectious diseases intersects with the rising prevalence of non-communicable conditions, accurate diagnostics are nothing short of life-saving.
Dr Okechukwu said that early detection of malaria, HIV, Lassa fever, tuberculosis, precise monitoring of diabetes, cancers, cardiovascular disease, maternal and neonatal screening, epidemiological surveillance, and pandemic preparedness – all begin with a test, adding that IVD, therefore, is not just a laboratory activity but the backbone of modern medicine and public health.
He highlighted that this vision led to the birth of DCL Laboratory Products Ltd two decades ago -to bridge the diagnostic divide and deliver total IVD solutions tailored to the needs of West Africa.
He said, “Our goal was not only to supply instruments and consumables, but to ensure their functionality, continuity, and impact on the patient outcomes. And today, we stand proud of that journey. Over these 20 years, we have expanded our service footprint across Nigeria and the West African sub-region, supporting clinical chemistry, hematology, immunology, serology, molecular pathology, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, microbiology, parasitology, point-of-care diagnostics, and more. We have helped strengthen laboratory capacity, improve turnaround time, enhance disease detection, and support countless healthcare institutions to deliver evidence-based care.”
He also said that the organization’s recent personnel audit confirms that DCL Laboratory Products Ltd now has more than 250 skilled team members working across Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
“These are engineers, scientists, quality specialists, logistics experts, and service professionals who ensure that every Instrument supplied delivers consistent and dependable results,” he said.
He also disclosed that the organization has established a new production plant, strategically developed to expand local manufacturing, guarantee supply security, and support regional laboratory needs.
He said that the facility is already achieving excellence and has received multiple quality recognitions. He said innovation, collaboration, and sustained investment would help address challenges such as gaps in laboratory infrastructure, rural accessibility, cost barriers, and technology adoption in the country.
“Our mission continues: to make reliable diagnostics available, affordable, and accessible to every community in West Africa,” he added.
He said the organization’s anniversary celebration, themed “celebrating impactful healthcare marketplace, heralding local IVD manufacturing,” also celebrates “collaboration – with healthcare workers, with
governments, the private sector, our original equipment manufacturers, and the communities we serve. None of our progress stands alone. It stands on partnerships rooted in trust, quality, and shared purpose.”
He said, “As we look to the future, we reaffirm our mission: to provide total IVD solutions that empower healthcare delivery in West Africa. We envision a region where no patient suffers because a test is unavailable. A region equipped for early detection, guided treatment, disease surveillance, and personalised medicine. A region where diagnostics drive policy, preparedness, and progress.”
