Health
Senate passes bill to create agency for malaria elimination
The Senate on Wednesday passed a bill seeking to establish the National Agency for Malaria Elimination in Nigeria.
The upper chamber passed the bill after considering the report of its Committee on Health, presented by Banigo Ipalibo, its chairman.
The clauses of the bill were considered at the Committee of the Whole.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the passage of the bill after a majority of the senators supported it through a voice vote.
The bill was sponsored by the senator representing Delta North Senatorial District, Ned Nwoko.
The legislation seeks to establish an agency to coordinate national efforts to prevent, control, and eventually eliminate malaria in Nigeria. It also mandates the agency to formulate and periodically review a national malaria elimination strategic plan and coordinate the implementation of malaria programmes and interventions across the country.
In addition, the bill provides for the establishment of zonal and state offices to drive malaria elimination efforts nationwide. The agency is expected to institutionalise malaria elimination through a framework backed by law, science and accountability.
The bill will be transmitted to the House of Representatives for concurrence before being forwarded to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
Report of the committee
Presenting the committee’s report, Mrs Ipalibo, who represents Rivers West Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said the proposed agency would serve as the central coordinating body for malaria prevention and elimination in Nigeria.
“The agency will be responsible for coordinating all national efforts towards the prevention, control and eventual elimination of malaria,” she said.
The senator stated that stakeholders who participated in the public hearing overwhelmingly supported the bill, noting that it would provide institutional mechanisms at all levels of government to tackle malaria, which has remained a major public health challenge in the country.
She added that the establishment of the agency would help shift Nigeria’s approach from largely treating malaria cases to preventing and ultimately eliminating the disease.
Contributing to the debate, Mr Nwoko said that eliminating malaria in Nigeria is both practical and achievable.
“In the course of my research on the elimination of Malaria, I went to Antarctica with some of my legislative aides, after which I came up with the bill,” he said.
He maintained that malaria elimination could be achieved through the establishment of a dedicated agency focused on effective waste management, fumigation and vaccine research.
“Eradicating or Eliminating Malaria is achievable in Nigeria through a special agency for that purpose. The agency, when established, shall, through effective waste management, fumigation and research on vaccines, see to the elimination of malaria in Nigeria,” he added.
After announcing the passage of the bill, Mr Akpabio described the legislation as a landmark intervention in the fight against malaria, which he noted remains one of the most common diseases affecting Nigerians.
Malaria remains one of Nigeria’s most serious public health challenges despite decades of interventions by governments, international organisations and development partners.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria bears the highest malaria burden globally, accounting for about 27 per cent of the world’s malaria cases and nearly 32 per cent of malaria-related deaths. Nigeria, alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Niger Republic, accounts for more than half of all malaria deaths recorded in Africa.
The disease is transmitted by bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes and remains endemic across the country, particularly during the rainy season, when mosquito breeding increases.
READ ALSO: Senate constitutes committee to liaise with FG over unpaid contractors’ debts
Children under the age of five and pregnant women are the most vulnerable groups. WHO estimates show that children under five account for the overwhelming majority of malaria-related deaths in Africa. In Nigeria, malaria is one of the leading causes of illness, hospital visits and deaths among young children.
Aside from its health consequences, malaria imposes a significant economic burden on Nigeria. The disease contributes to school absenteeism, reduced productivity, increased household healthcare spending, and pressure on the country’s health system. Experts estimate that Nigeria loses billions of naira annually through treatment costs, reduced workforce productivity and preventable deaths linked to malaria.
Although the country has made progress through the distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, seasonal malaria chemoprevention programmes, indoor residual spraying and improved access to diagnosis and treatment, the disease continues to pose a major threat due to poor sanitation, inadequate healthcare access, drug resistance, climate-related factors and funding gaps.
In 2024, Nigeria received and began rolling out the Oxford R21 malaria vaccine, becoming one of the first countries in Africa to deploy the vaccine as part of efforts to reduce infections and deaths among children. Health authorities, however, maintain that vaccination must be complemented by existing preventive measures such as mosquito nets, environmental sanitation and prompt treatment.
Fidson Healthcare Plc has mobilised its staff and volunteers to clean communities in Lagos as part of activities to mark World Cleanup Day 2026.
The exercise, held on Saturday morning, took place around Obanikoro, Fadeyi, Palmgrove and Shomolu axis of Lagos state, with employees of the company and volunteers participating in the cleanup and environmental hygiene advocacy.
The initiative, tagged Project Clean Sweep 2026, was organised by Fidson in partnership with the African Cleanup Initiative (ACI) as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability initiative.
The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) also participated in the exercise, with its advocacy team supporting the organisers.
World Cleanup Day is an annual global movement held on 20 September to tackle waste pollution and promote sustainable resource management.
Fidson links clean environment to health
In her remarks, Adejoke Alli, the Associate Director of Business Operations at Fidson Healthcare, said the company organised the exercise to contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment in its host community.
“The whole idea is to do our part to ensure that we have a greener Lagos and a greener environment, particularly in our host community around Obanikoro, Fadeyi, Shipeolu and Shomolu, where our head office is located,” Ms Alli said.
“We are very passionate about environmental sustainability. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is also part of our governance framework, so we are particularly interested in ensuring that we maintain an environment with a less carbon footprint, an environment that is clean and habitable, and one that can promote good health.”
She noted beyond just talking or complaining, the organisation decided to take action so that people can see that “we can all make a difference.”
“This is something that we are very proud of, and we hope we’ll continue to do this for the future,” she added.
Tosin Shoboyede, Human Resources Business Partner at Fidson Healthcare, said environmental cleanliness is part of the company’s commitment to its motto, “We value life.”
Mr Shoboyede said maintaining a clean environment was one way of promoting healthy living.
He described the exercise as part of Fidson’s effort to give back to society and contribute to a cleaner environment.
Organisers call for community action
Alexander Kibe, Founder and President of the ACI, said the organisation had been involved in environmental cleanup activities for 16 years, working across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Mr Kibe said the group was combining the cleanup with advocacy because cleaning the environment without changing people’s behaviour would not provide a lasting solution.
As part of the exercise, the volunteers also went into the market around the area to clean and engage traders on the need to keep their surroundings clean.
“We cannot leave everything to the government,” Mr Kibe said. “As the African Cleanup Initiative, we are playing our part, and Fidson Healthcare is also playing its part.”
He said residents, traders and passers-by also have a responsibility to keep their surroundings clean.
Mr Kibe said the organisers were engaging members of the communities to encourage them to maintain the environment after the cleanup exercise.
Volunteers urge residents to take responsibility
Munnir Adams, Founder of Climb with Me and a volunteer with the ACI, said improving waste management systems would not be enough without citizens taking responsibility for their surroundings.
Mr Adams said residents should contribute actively to keeping their streets, gutters and areas around their homes clean instead of only complaining about poor waste management.
Rachel Coker, another volunteer with the ACI, said she had participated in the organisation’s activities for more than a year.
Ms Coker said regular environmental sanitation could help reduce exposure to germs and diseases and also contribute to people’s psychological wellbeing.
She said the volunteers were also seeking to set an example for residents and encourage them to make environmental cleanliness a regular habit.
Discover more from Premium Times Nigeria
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
-
Business19 hours agoLingzhi Global, NACOFTAN Announce 2026 Coffee Festival in Cross River
-
News4 days ago
Tinubu’ll win presidency with 65 percent votes – Jibrin
-
News3 days ago
Crusoe raises $3.9B to build massive data centers and small modular “AI factories”
-
Events19 hours ago
Peace Walk: WOPPI Urges Plateau Citizens to Invest in Peace Every Day
