A bill seeking to establish the National Agency for Malaria Eradication (NAME) has successfully scaled its second reading in the Senate.
Titled A Bill For an Act to Establish the National Agency for Malaria Eradication and for Related Matters, 2025 (SB. 172), the bill was sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Delta North.
It aims to address the staggering malaria death toll in Nigeria, which, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2024 report, accounts for over 184,000 out of 600,000 global malaria deaths annually—the highest in the world.
The bill was presented during Thursday’s plenary session and, after scaling the second reading, was referred to the Senate Committee on Health by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North).
The committee is expected to review and report back in four weeks.
In his presentation, Senator Nwoko emphasized the urgency of establishing NAME, describing malaria as a national emergency that goes beyond public health, affecting maternal health, economic productivity, and national development.
He highlighted that malaria contributes to about 11% of maternal mortality in Nigeria and is responsible for severe anaemia, miscarriages, stillbirths, and infant deaths.
“Malaria is not merely a public health issue; it is a structural crisis that impairs maternal health, drains economic productivity, and impedes national development,” Nwoko stated.
He noted that the economic impact of malaria is severe, leading to the loss of millions of man-hours annually, affecting business efficiency, and straining national productivity.
Drawing parallels between global responses to health crises, Nwoko cited the rapid mobilization during the COVID-19 pandemic, where vaccines were developed within months, and global funding was swiftly deployed.
In contrast, malaria—despite centuries of devastation—continues to suffer from fragmented and insufficient interventions.
“If malaria were endemic to Europe or North America, we would not still be grappling with it a century later,” he remarked, urging for political will and urgent action.
The bill proposes the creation of a centralized, autonomous, and fully resourced National Agency for Malaria Eradication, with a clear and aggressive mandate to:
Formulate and lead national policies for malaria eradication.
Coordinate inter-agency and sectoral responses with authority.
Mobilize and manage resources efficiently and transparently.
Support vaccine research and genetic innovations targeting malaria.
Senator Nwoko criticized the current health architecture for being underpowered and fragmented, calling the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) policy-based but ineffective, and the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) limited in reach and capacity.
“A fragmented structure cannot confront a mutating threat. We need a unified, science-driven, and legislatively backed institution with the singular mandate to end malaria in Nigeria,” he concluded.
According to Vanguard, the bill received overwhelming support from senators, including Victor Umeh (LP, Anambra Central), Ede Dafinone (APC, Delta Central), Babangida Oseni (APC, Jigawa North West), and Onyewuchi Francis (LP, Imo East).
The proposed agency is seen as a historic step towards eliminating malaria in Nigeria, which has long held the highest global malaria burden.
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