The federal government has enlisted three of Nigeria’s top business magnates—Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Group; Tony Elumelu, chairman of Heirs Holdings; and Femi Otedola, chairman of Geregu Power Plc—to spearhead fresh efforts to combat malaria through the Nigeria End Malaria Council (NEMC).
NEMC, established in 2017 and inaugurated by former President Muhammadu Buhari on August 16, 2022, is responsible for driving initiatives aimed at eliminating malaria across the country.
The council is now ramping up efforts under the leadership of these industry heavyweights.
At the inauguration ceremony in Abuja, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa, highlighted the severity of malaria in Nigeria, stating that the country contributes over a quarter of global malaria cases and a third of malaria deaths worldwide, with children and pregnant women being the most affected.
Describing the situation as “sad,” Alausa emphasized that malaria accounts for about 25 to 30 percent of childhood mortality and 60 percent of hospital visits in Nigeria.
The disease also causes significant absenteeism in schools, workplaces, and markets, further straining household finances.
The newly-appointed leaders of NEMC are expected to collaborate with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), national assembly health committees, and women’s organizations to push forward the malaria elimination agenda.
Alausa said, “It gives me great pleasure to be present in this auspicious meeting whose major objective is to contribute to a reduction in the malaria burden and possibly the elimination of malaria in Nigeria, which will ultimately lead to the improvement in the quality of lives of all Nigerians.
“It is no longer news that Nigeria contributes more than a quarter of global malaria cases and about a third of the over 600,000 deaths, mostly among children and pregnant women.
“It is sad to note that malaria contributes about 25-30 percent childhood mortality and about 60 percent hospital attendance.
“Similarly, malaria is a major cause of absenteeism to schools, markets and workplaces, as well as a major out of pocket spending for most households in the country.
“While malaria cases and deaths are shrinking in other countries, Nigeria has continuously recorded higher number of cases. Bulk of the support for the interventions are donor-driven, hence inadequate and not sustainable.
“Aware of the fact that no country ever eliminated malaria through donor supports, the African Heads of States launched the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) during the African Union Summit of 2009 and the Malaria Scorecard was developed in 2011 to monitor country’s performance and also, to be used as an advocacy tool for heads of government.”
He said the setting up of the council was to advocate for malaria to remain high on the national and state agendas through strong political commitment from leaders at all levels and mobilisation of financial and in-kind resources from new sources.
He said, “By reason of your positions in Nigeria, your passion towards health issues, especially malaria, and the interest groups you represent, your membership to this council is inevitable for the benefit of the larger society, and especially children and pregnant women who are the most affected and would remain forever grateful.”
As part of the event, the minister handed over the leadership of the council to Dangote.
