Buhari appoints Dangote National End Malaria Council chairman

Aliko Dangote, chairman of Aliko Dangote Foundation and Africa’s richest man, has been named the pioneer chairman of the National End Malaria Council, a body established by President Muhammadu Buhari to eliminate the scourge of malaria in the country.

The National End Malaria Council was inaugurated on Tuesday by the president at a well-attended event in the Presidential Banquet Hall, Aso-Rock Villa, Abuja.

During the inauguration of the 16-member Council, President Buhari projected that the successful implementation of the Council’s agenda and savings from the estimated economic burden of the disease would save Nigeria about N687 billion in 2022 and N2 trillion by 2030.

Dangote, who accepted the responsibility of chairing and piloting the Council, said the new function was in tandem with his current roles as the Nigerian Ambassador for Malaria, his role on the Global End Malaria Council, and the work Aliko Dangote Foundation is doing to mobilise the private sector to support malaria control in Nigeria in particular, and Africa at large.

Buhari, while addressing the Council, said that beyond improving the quality of life, health and well-being of Nigerians, the concerted strategy to tackle malaria had both public health and socio-economic benefits for Nigeria.

“Our inauguration today will therefore ensure that malaria elimination remains a priority on our agenda, with strong political commitment from leaders at all levels,” Buhari said.

“Additionally, the End Malaria Council will provide a platform to advocate for more funding to protect and sustain progress made so far by our country, and put us on a pathway to ending malaria for good,” he said.

The president, expressing concern towards the prevalent age-long disease which had remained a major public health challenge in Nigeria, cited the World Health Organisation (WHO) report of 2021 which showed that Nigeria alone accounts for 27 percent of all cases of malaria and 32 percent of deaths globally.

Explaining his choice of Dangote to chair the Council, Buhari said it was in recognition of the track record and passion of Africa’s richest man in supporting initiatives on various health issues such as polio and primary healthcare system strengthening.

He expressed confidence that Dangote would bring his outstanding achievements to help the country achieve its goal of malaria elimination, adding that a group of eminent personalities, who have also made their mark across all walks of life, have been selected to work in the Council.

Buhari added that the membership of the Council reflects the government’s commitment to significantly reducing the malaria burden in Nigeria to a level where it is no longer a public health issue.

President Buhari also acknowledged and thanked the chairman of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, the executive secretary of ALMA, RBM Partnership in Nigeria for their continuous support to the Federal Ministry of Health and the malaria programme, in particular.

He also acknowledged the contributions of the Global Fund, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the President’s Malaria Initiative, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, WHO, UNICEF, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, other implementing partners, and the private sector.

Dangote, in his acceptance speech, thanked the president and all members of the Council for entrusting him with the enormous responsibility, pledging to work hard to achieve the mandate.

“I must confess that this resonates with my current role as the Nigerian Ambassador for Malaria, my role on the Global End Malaria Council and with the work that my Foundation is doing to mobilise the private sector to support malaria control in Nigeria and Africa at large,” Dangote  said.

In 2016, Aliko Dangote Foundation supported the development of a Private Sector Engagement Strategy for Malaria Elimination in Nigeria. The document highlighted private sector support in the fight against malaria as well as a strategy for private sector engagement and steps for implementation.

“In fulfilling our longstanding commitment/investment to end malaria, my Foundation will continue to support all efforts at mobilising all sectors to end malaria in Nigeria and Africa at large,” he said.

On behalf of the Council members, Dangote said they would work hard together as a team  to ensure that malaria elimination remains high on Nigeria’s agenda with strong political commitment from leaders at all levels.

He said the Council would advocate at the national and state levels to ensure sufficient funding for malaria elimination.

“The Council under my watch will drive progress toward malaria elimination by focusing on two key areas: Ensure that malaria elimination remains high on Nigeria’s agenda with strong political commitment from leaders at all levels; and advocate at all levels to ensure sufficient funding to protect the progress made so far, sustain the progress, and be on an irreversible pathway to ending malaria for good,” he said.

Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, and Joseph Ekumankama Nkama, minister of state for health, who are both members of the Council, said since 2010 Nigeria has been recording a continuous decline in malaria from 42 percent in 2010, 27 percent in 2015 to 23 percent in 2018.

Quoting figures from the 2010 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey and the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, they attributed the decline to the thorough implementation of the National Malaria Strategic Plan (NMSP).

However, both ministers admitted that the funding gap has impacted the implementation of the malaria programmes in Nigeria, adding that the country needs N1.89 trillion to reduce malaria prevalence and mortality by 2025.

Members of the Council include Shehu Ibrahim, permanent secretary, Office of the Vice President on Political and Economic Affairs; Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti State governor/chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum; Yahaya Oloriegbe, chairman, Senate Committee on Health; Abubakar Dahiru, chairman, House Committee on AIDS, TB and Malaria; and Mahmuda Mamman, permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Health.

Others are Tony Elumelu, chairman, Board of Directors, UBA; Folorunsho Alakija, CEO, Rose of Sharon Group; Herbert Wigwe, CEO, Access Bank; Femi Otedola, CEO, Forte Oil; Hajiya Lami Lau, president, National Council of Women Societies; John Cardinal Onaiyekan, emeritus archbishop of Abuja Catholic Archdiocese; Rafiyat Sanni, national amira, Federation of Muslim Women Nigeria (FOWAN), and Perpetua Uhomoibhi, NEMC secretariat/national coordinator, National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP).