The Federal Government has reported a decline in malaria 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 reduce malaria prevalence and malaria-attributable deaths by 50 per cent 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 ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom S., said the decline reflected progress in the country’s efforts to combat malaria.
“The 6.8 percentage-point decline reflects meaningful progress in Nigeria’s malaria response,” he said.
The minister said the achievement aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Federal Government’s commitment to improving health outcomes across the country.
However, he cautioned that the progress should not be mistaken for the elimination of malaria, stressing the need to sustain preventive measures and strengthen interventions nationwide.
Pate cited Kebbi State as an example of progress, noting that malaria prevalence in the state fell from 49 per cent in 2021 to 18 per cent in 2025.
He said the figures demonstrated the importance of targeted interventions but warned that continued efforts were necessary to achieve further reductions.
On the use of insecticide-treated nets, the minister said 72.3 per cent of children and 80.6 per cent of pregnant women in households that owned the nets slept under them.
He said the figures underscored “the need to strengthen consistent use of this essential preventive intervention” to protect vulnerable groups against malaria.
Pate explained that the National Malaria Strategic Plan 2026–2030 was aligned with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and advanced through the Sector-Wide Approach.
He said the plan was guided by the principle of “One Plan, One Budget, One Report, One Conversation,” aimed at strengthening coordination and accountability in malaria control.
The minister added that the plan’s Sub-National Tailoring approach would direct interventions towards areas with the highest malaria burden based on local epidemiological evidence.
He called on state governments to take ownership of their survey findings, align malaria control plans and budgets with identified needs, and ensure timely release of funds.
Pate also urged development partners to align their investments and technical support with national priorities to strengthen the country’s malaria response.
The Director-General of the National Population Commission, Dr. Abuh Muhammed, said the survey demonstrated the value of collaboration between the National Malaria Elimination Programme and the commission.
Muhammed said the partnership combined technical expertise in malaria control with the commission’s survey infrastructure and field operations to produce data that could guide public health policies.
He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to evidence-based planning and urged policymakers and development partners to use the findings to direct resources to areas where they were most needed.
The Federal Government commended the National Malaria Elimination Programme, the National Population Commission and other partners involved in conducting the survey.
Pate reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening domestic financing, improving surveillance and sustaining a coordinated national response to malaria.
He said the government would continue working with state governments and development partners to reduce malaria infections and deaths across the country and achieve the 2030 target.