The Defence Reference Laboratory (DRL), Abuja is a state-of-the-art facility established by the Nigerian Ministry of Defence (NMOD) in partnership with the U.S. Army Medical Research Directorate – Africa/Nigeria (USAMRD-A/N). Designed to support PEPFAR-funded research and diagnostics, DRL plays a critical role in strengthening Nigeria’s public health and military laboratory systems.

Strategically located in Abuja, DRL serves as the reference laboratory for military hospitals and MODHIP-supported health facilities across Nigeria. It performs advanced testing, offers specialist training, leads quality assurance oversight, and contributes to military and civilian research capacity in infectious disease surveillance and vaccine development.

DRL is jointly staffed by a highly skilled team of:

• NMOD military laboratory professionals

• Civilian technical experts

• Henry Jackson Foundation (HJF) personnel
  Together, we uphold global standards of clinical research and diagnostics to serve both military and civilian communities.

As the central laboratory for MODHIP and its affiliated health network, DRL is committed to:

• Providing high-quality, reliable diagnostic services

• Leading laboratory research and surveillance for infectious diseases

• Training Nigeria’s military laboratory workforce in cutting-edge technologies

• Supporting the development of local solutions for national and global health challenges

Since its inception, DRL has led and supported critical laboratory initiatives such as:

• Specialized Diagnostics
  – Processing samples for HIV viral load, early infant diagnosis, emerging infections, and more.
• Quality Assurance (QA) & External Quality Assessment (EQA)
  – Conducting routine QC checks on results from military facilities.
  – Overseeing a national EQA program for MODHIP-supported labs.
• Clinical Research Support
  – Enabling protocol-driven studies, including HIV research under the Military HIV Research Program (MHRP).
  – Supporting long-term goals like HIV vaccine development.
• Technical Support to Armed Forces
  – Assisting during military recruitment, pre-/post-induction screenings, and deployments with diagnostic services.
• National Laboratory Development
  – Contributing to the establishment of national laboratory reference ranges.
  – Evaluating and validating diagnostic devices in collaboration with regulatory bodies.
• Advanced Training for MOD Personnel
  – Building capacity in diagnostics, biosafety, infection prevention, and lab data management.

DRL is a multi-disciplinary facility housing eight specialized departments, each supporting a wide range of research, testing, and quality control efforts:

• Molecular Diagnostics

• Serology

• Microbiology

• Malaria Diagnostics

• Sample Processing

• Laboratory Safety

• Biospecimen Repository

• Quality Assurance & Training

DRL collaborates with:

• PEPFAR

• USAMRD-A/N

• WRAIR

• Federal Ministry of Health

• Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)

• Partner universities and research institutions

Samples processed at DRL come from 31+ MODHIP-supported military hospitals, state health departments, and other military facilities nationwide — ensuring continuity, consistency, and quality in lab diagnostics across Nigeria.

• Processed thousands of samples annually for HIV viral load, EID, and emerging disease detection

• Provided EQA oversight and QC validation for military labs nationwide

• Supported clinical research aligned with vaccine development and global disease control

• Collaborated with Nigerian and international bodies on device validation and biosurveillance

• Offered diagnostic support during military recruitment, induction screenings, and deployment health protocols