By Musa Baba Adamu
The Senate has passed for third reading a bill seeking the establishment of a National Agency for Malaria Elimination, a move lawmakers say could transform Nigeria’s fight against one of its most persistent public health challenges.
The Bill, sponsored by Ned Nwoko, scaled third reading on Tuesday after the Senate considered and adopted the report of the Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), chaired by Ipalibo Harry Banigo.
Presenting its report, the committee said the proposed agency would serve as the central body for coordinating national efforts aimed at the prevention, control and eventual elimination of malaria across the country.
According to the committee, the establishment of the agency would mark a significant shift in Nigeria’s malaria response strategy, moving from a largely treatment-based approach to one focused on prevention and eradication.
“The agency when established, will help shift the country’s approach from curative to preventive or elimination,” the committee stated in its report.
The lawmakers also recommended the creation of zonal and state offices to ensure nationwide implementation of the agency’s programmes, adding that its operations would be guided by a strategic framework anchored on law, scientific research and accountability.
Commending the passage of the bill, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, described the legislation as a landmark intervention in the battle against malaria, which remains one of the most common diseases affecting Nigerians.
Speaking with journalists after the bill was passed, Nwoko expressed confidence that malaria elimination in Nigeria is both realistic and achievable.
According to him, extensive research informed the proposed legislation, including studies he conducted during a trip to Antarctica with members of his legislative team.
“In the course of my research on elimination of malaria, I went to Antarctica with some of my legislative aides after which I came up with the bill, which was passed for second reading in May last year and third reading by the Senate today,” he said.
The senator maintained that a dedicated agency with a clear mandate would significantly improve the country’s capacity to tackle malaria through coordinated interventions.
He explained that the proposed agency would focus on effective waste management, environmental fumigation and research into vaccines and other preventive measures as part of efforts to eliminate malaria nationwide.
“Eradicating or eliminating malaria is achievable in Nigeria through a special agency for that purpose,” Nwoko said, expressing optimism that Nigeria could become the first country in Africa to achieve malaria-free status if the initiative is fully implemented.
