The Federal Government plans to deploy next-generation Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs), Larval Source Management (LSM), malaria vaccines and chemoprevention tools to tackle the high malaria burden in the country.

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, disclosed this while speaking to journalists at the Science of Defeating Malaria Leadership Development Course, hosted by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) in partnership with the Institute of Genomics and Global Health.

Pate said significant progress had been made in the fight against malaria, with prevalence declining from 42 per cent in 2010 to 15 per cent in 2025.

He attributed the decline to the implementation of President Bola Tinubu’s Health Sector Renewal Plan, which is aimed at expanding primary healthcare, deepening health insurance coverage to improve affordability and access to healthcare services, training frontline health workers, and boosting local manufacturing of pharmaceutical products and medical devices to reduce dependence on imports.

He said, “We are training human resources for health, improving local manufacturing of test kits, pharmaceuticals and bed nets. A major manufacturer of bed nets has already broken ground, and another major test kit manufacturer is also establishing operations in Nigeria.

“We have seen improvements over the last three years as part of President Bola Tinubu’s Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative. These are signs of progress, backed not just by opinion but by data. The Malaria Indicator Survey has clearly demonstrated this progress.”

The minister noted that some states, particularly Lagos, are currently at the malaria pre-elimination stage due to effective case management, testing and treatment protocols, which ensure that individuals presenting with fever are tested for malaria before treatment is administered.

“These are the new approaches we have put together, and they appear to be working. We have now proven that things can, in fact, get better in Nigeria,” he said.

On the rollout of the malaria vaccine in Kebbi, Bayelsa, Bauchi and Ondo states, Pate explained that the vaccine represents only one component of a broader malaria control strategy.

According to him, the vaccine is most effective when combined with other interventions such as the use of bed nets, seasonal malaria chemoprevention, intermittent preventive treatment, prompt testing and treatment, and effective case management.

He said, “For the vaccine, we have had a good experience in those states. However, vaccines are only one layer of protection that must be built on top of other interventions, including bed nets, intermittent preventive treatment, Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC), good case management and vaccination.”

Pate observed that the Federal Government is working closely with states and making substantial investments in malaria control efforts. He expressed confidence that if the current momentum is sustained, Nigeria can defeat malaria, which continues to affect millions of people across the country.

Also speaking, a Professor of Molecular Biology and Genomics in the Department of Biological Sciences and Director of the Institute of Genomics and Global Health at Redeemer’s University, Osun State, Prof. Christian Happi, said Nigeria has moved from a high-malaria-prevalence country to one experiencing moderate transmission levels.

He said, “We are trying to achieve this within the framework of a broader African programme, where we are collaborating with neighbouring countries to reduce the burden of malaria across the region.

“As we work towards eliminating malaria in Nigeria, we do not want neighbouring countries to continue reintroducing the disease through cross-border transmission.”