Senator representing Delta North, Ned Nwoko, has described the Senate’s passage of the National Agency for Malaria Elimination Bill as a major milestone in Nigeria’s battle against malaria, expressing optimism that the country can now move from merely managing the disease to completely eliminating it.
Nwoko, who sponsored the bill, said its passage marks a historic turning point in tackling one of Nigeria’s most persistent public health challenges.
Speaking after the legislation passed third reading in the Senate, the lawmaker stressed that malaria elimination is achievable, noting that several countries across the world have already succeeded in doing so.
“Malaria has been eliminated in several countries around the world. It is achievable. Nigeria can end malaria, and Africa can end malaria. What is needed is focus, coordination and political will,” he said.
The proposed legislation, titled “A Bill for an Act to Establish the National Agency for Malaria Elimination and for Related Matters, 2025 (SB.172),” seeks to establish a specialised institution dedicated to coordinating a comprehensive, data-driven, and results-oriented national response to malaria.
The bill, which passed second reading on May 15, 2025, was later referred to the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary) for further legislative scrutiny before securing final approval.
According to Nwoko, the proposed agency will provide the institutional framework needed to drive malaria prevention, environmental management, research, surveillance, public awareness campaigns, and elimination strategies nationwide.
The senator noted that the Senate’s approval represents the culmination of years of advocacy and personal commitment toward malaria eradication in Africa.
Recalling his earlier efforts to draw international attention to the disease, Nwoko said he embarked on a symbolic expedition to Antarctica nearly two decades ago and later drafted a similar bill as a private citizen.
Although the proposal did not receive legislative backing at the time, he said he remained committed to the vision and revived it after his election into the Senate.
He lamented that malaria continues to claim thousands of lives across Africa, particularly among children and other vulnerable groups, despite being both preventable and treatable.
“Many people have come to accept malaria as a normal part of life. It should not be. We must move beyond treatment to elimination,” he stated.
The bill gained significant support during stakeholder consultations organised by the Senate Committee on Health.
As part of the legislative process, the committee invited memoranda from the public through advertisements in national newspapers and electronic media before conducting a public hearing attended by health experts, government agencies, civil society organisations, development partners, and other stakeholders.
Participants at the hearing included representatives from the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Ministry of Justice, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), the Joint Health Sector Union, the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria, the Nigeria End Malaria Council, the Malaria Technical Working Group, as well as several academic and public health institutions.
The committee reported overwhelming support for the bill, with stakeholders emphasising the need for a specialised institution focused solely on malaria elimination rather than the management of recurring outbreaks.
Lawmakers also adopted the term “elimination” instead of “eradication,” explaining that the former aligns with globally accepted terminology for country-level interventions.
Addressing concerns about possible duplication of functions with the existing National Malaria Elimination Programme, the committee clarified that the proposed agency would serve as the central coordinating body for all malaria prevention, control, and elimination efforts across the country.
The committee further observed that Nigeria’s current malaria response remains heavily treatment-focused, with inadequate attention given to prevention and long-term elimination strategies.
Under the proposed law, the agency will establish zonal and state offices and implement a national strategic plan to coordinate interventions at the federal, state, and local government levels.
Nwoko maintained that Nigeria can replicate the success achieved by other countries if it invests more aggressively in environmental sanitation, waste management, fumigation, research, and innovation aimed at reducing mosquito breeding sites.
“There is no amount of money spent to save lives that is too much. Families are still losing loved ones to malaria every day. We cannot continue to treat this as normal,” he said.
He added that the initiative would operate at the grassroots level through partnerships with states, local governments, and communities to ensure malaria elimination efforts reach every part of the country.
Following Senate approval, the bill will proceed to the House of Representatives for concurrence before being transmitted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assent.
If eventually signed into law, the National Agency for Malaria Elimination is expected to become one of Nigeria’s most ambitious public health institutions in recent history and could strengthen the country’s leadership role in Africa’s fight against malaria.
“This is a fight we can win. Nigeria can end malaria, and we must be determined to do so,” Nwoko stated.
