The Senate on Wednesday passed for third reading a bill seeking the establishment of the National Agency for Malaria Elimination in Nigeria, in a legislative push aimed at strengthening national efforts to prevent, control, and ultimately eradicate malaria in the country.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), is designed to coordinate all malaria-related interventions and improve the effectiveness of national elimination strategies.
The passage followed the consideration and adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), chaired by Senator Ipalibo Harry Banigo (Rivers West).
Presenting the report, the committee said the proposed agency, when established, would serve as a central coordinating body for malaria control and elimination programmes nationwide.
It noted that the agency would help transition Nigeria’s public health strategy from treatment-focused interventions to preventive and eradication-based approaches.
“The agency when established will help shift the country’s approach from curative to preventive or elimination,” the committee stated.
The committee further recommended the creation of zonal and state offices to ensure nationwide coverage and effective implementation of malaria control efforts.
It added that the agency would operate under a structured strategic framework anchored on law, science, and accountability to ensure sustained results.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the bill as a landmark intervention in the country’s long-standing battle against malaria, which remains one of the most prevalent diseases in Nigeria.
Speaking to journalists after the plenary, Senator Ned Nwoko expressed confidence that malaria elimination in Nigeria is achievable with the right institutional framework.
“Elimination of malaria in Nigeria is practicable and achievable,” he said.
He explained that the bill, which first passed second reading in May last year, was informed by extensive research and the need for a dedicated agency to drive eradication efforts.
According to him, malaria eradication can be achieved through improved environmental sanitation, fumigation, and sustained research efforts, including vaccine development.
“Eradicating or eliminating malaria is achievable in Nigeria through a special agency for that purpose,” he added.
