The Federal Government has reported a decline in malaria parasite prevalence among children aged six to 59 months from 22 per cent in 2021 to 15.2 per cent in 2025, setting a target to halve the disease burden and malaria-related deaths by 2030.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the launch of the 2025 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey (NMIS) Report and the National Malaria Strategic Plan 2026–2030.
Pate, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachollom S., said the 6.8 percentage-point decline reflected significant progress in the country’s malaria control efforts.
He attributed the progress to the Federal Government’s commitment to improving health outcomes under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The minister, however, warned that the improvement should not be mistaken for the elimination of malaria, stressing the need to sustain and strengthen interventions to reduce infections and deaths nationwide.
He cited Kebbi State as an example of progress, noting that malaria prevalence there dropped from 49 per cent in 2021 to 18 per cent in 2025.
According to him, the National Malaria Strategic Plan 2026–2030 aims to reduce malaria prevalence and malaria-attributable deaths by 50 per cent from their 2025 levels by the end of the decade.
Pate also highlighted the importance of insecticide-treated mosquito nets in preventing malaria, saying that among households that owned the nets, 72.3 per cent of children and 80.6 per cent of pregnant women slept under one.
He said the figures underscored the need to promote consistent use of mosquito nets as a key preventive measure.
The minister explained that the new strategic plan was aligned with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) and developed through the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), guided by the principle of “One Plan, One Budget, One Report, One Conversation.”
He added that the plan’s sub-national tailoring approach would ensure that malaria interventions were directed towards areas with the highest disease burden, based on local epidemiological evidence.
Pate called on state governments to take ownership of the findings of the Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey, align their malaria control plans and budgets with identified needs, and ensure the timely release of funds for implementation.
He also urged development partners to align their investments and technical support with national priorities to strengthen the country’s malaria response.
Earlier, the Director-General of the National Population Commission, Dr. Abuh Muhammed, said the survey demonstrated the importance of collaboration between the National Malaria Elimination Programme and the commission.
He explained that the partnership combined technical expertise in malaria control with the commission’s survey infrastructure and field operations to generate reliable data for planning and decision-making.
Muhammed reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to evidence-based planning and urged policymakers and development partners to use the survey findings to direct resources to areas where they were most needed.
The minister commended the National Malaria Elimination Programme, the National Population Commission and other partners for their contributions to the survey.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening domestic financing, improving disease surveillance and sustaining a coordinated and accountable national response to reduce malaria infections and deaths across Nigeria.
