The Senate on Tuesday passed for third reading a bill seeking the establishment of the National Agency for Malaria Elimination, a landmark legislative initiative aimed at coordinating and driving efforts to eradicate malaria in Nigeria.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko, scaled third reading following the consideration and adoption of a report presented by the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), chaired by Senator Ipalibo Harry Banigo.
Presenting the report, the committee explained that the proposed agency would serve as the central body responsible for coordinating national efforts towards the prevention, control, and eventual elimination of malaria across the country.
According to the committee, the establishment of the agency would help shift Nigeria’s approach to malaria management from treatment-focused interventions to a preventive and elimination-based strategy.
“The agency, when established, will help shift the country’s approach from curative measures to prevention and eventual elimination of malaria,” the committee stated.
The report further noted that the agency would operate through zonal and state offices nationwide, implementing a strategic plan anchored on legal backing, scientific research, accountability, and effective coordination of malaria elimination programmes.
Commending the passage of the bill, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the legislation as a major milestone in the country’s fight against malaria, which remains one of the most prevalent diseases in Nigeria and across Africa.
“This is a landmark legislation in the war against malaria, which remains the commonest ailment in this part of the world,” Akpabio said.
Speaking with journalists after the bill’s passage, Senator Nwoko expressed confidence that malaria elimination in Nigeria is both practicable and achievable.
According to him, the idea for the legislation emerged from extensive research he conducted on malaria eradication strategies.
“In the course of my research on the elimination of malaria, I travelled to Antarctica with some of my legislative aides. Following that research, I came up with this bill, which passed second reading in May last year and has now passed third reading in the Senate,” he said.
The lawmaker maintained that Nigeria has the capacity to become the first malaria-free country in Africa if deliberate and coordinated efforts are pursued through a dedicated agency.
“Eradicating or eliminating malaria is achievable in Nigeria through a special agency established specifically for that purpose,” Nwoko stated.
He added that the proposed agency would focus on effective waste management, environmental sanitation, fumigation programmes, and research into vaccines and other preventive measures as part of a comprehensive strategy to eliminate malaria nationwide.
Senator Nwoko expressed optimism that the establishment of the agency would significantly reduce the burden of malaria and improve public health outcomes across the country, positioning Nigeria as a continental leader in malaria eradication efforts.
