Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Senate has passed a landmark bill seeking to establish the National Agency for Malaria Elimination, a move lawmakers say could transform Nigeria’s fight against one of its deadliest and most persistent public health challenges.
The proposed legislation, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko, was approved after lawmakers considered and adopted the report of the Senate Committee on Health.
If eventually signed into law, the agency will coordinate national efforts aimed at preventing, controlling and ultimately eliminating malaria across Nigeria.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ipalibo Banigo, said the agency would serve as the central coordinating body for malaria interventions nationwide.
“The agency will be responsible for coordinating all national efforts towards the prevention, control and eventual elimination of malaria,” she said.
The bill also provides for the establishment of zonal and state offices to strengthen implementation and ensure nationwide coverage.
Speaking during debate, Senator Ned Nwoko argued that malaria elimination is achievable through a dedicated institutional framework focused on prevention, environmental management and vaccine research.
“Eradicating malaria is achievable in Nigeria through a special agency established for that purpose,” he said.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the legislation as a significant milestone in the battle against a disease that continues to affect millions of Nigerians annually.
According to the World Health Organisation, Nigeria accounts for approximately 27 per cent of global malaria cases and nearly 32 per cent of malaria-related deaths, making it the country with the highest malaria burden worldwide.
The bill will now proceed to the House of Representatives for concurrence before being transmitted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assent.
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Oluwafunbi Bello 
Korede Abdullah 
