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, as it targets a 50 per cent reduction in malaria prevalence and malaria-related deaths by 2030.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this on Thursday during the launch of the 2025 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey report and the National Malaria Strategic Plan 2026–2030 in Abuja.
Pate, who was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, said the latest figures indicated progress in the country’s efforts to combat malaria but stressed that more work was needed to achieve significant and sustainable reductions in infections and deaths.
According to a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the prevalence rate among children aged six to 59 months fell by 6.8 percentage points between 2021 and 2025.
The minister attributed the improvement to ongoing malaria control interventions, describing it as evidence of progress under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He, however, cautioned against interpreting the decline as a sign that the country was close to eliminating the disease.
One of the notable improvements was recorded in Kebbi State, where malaria prevalence dropped from 49 per cent in 2021 to 18 per cent in 2025.
Despite the progress, the government said sustained interventions, improved funding and greater cooperation among federal and state authorities would be necessary to reduce the disease burden further.
The survey also highlighted gaps in the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, a key intervention for preventing malaria.
The ministry disclosed that among households that owned insecticide-treated nets, 72.3 per cent of children and 80.6 per cent of pregnant women slept under the nets.
Pate said the figures underscored the need to improve consistent use of the preventive measure, particularly among vulnerable groups.
The government’s new National Malaria Strategic Plan, covering 2026 to 2030, is designed to reduce malaria prevalence and deaths by 50 per cent from the 2025 baseline.
The plan is aligned with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and will be implemented through the Sector-Wide Approach, guided by the principle of “One Plan, One Budget, One Report, One Conversation.”
According to the ministry, the strategy will also adopt a sub-national tailoring approach, allowing interventions and resources to be directed towards areas with the highest malaria burden based on local epidemiological evidence.
The Director-General of the National Population Commission, Dr. Abuh Muhammed, said the survey demonstrated the importance of collaboration between the commission and the National Malaria Elimination Programme.
He explained that the partnership combined the commission’s survey infrastructure and field operations with technical expertise in malaria control to produce data for policymaking and programme planning.
Muhammed reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to supporting evidence-based decisions and urged policymakers and development partners to use the findings to direct resources to communities with the greatest needs.
Pate also called on state governments to take ownership of their respective survey findings, align malaria control plans and budgets with identified needs, and ensure that allocated funds were released promptly.
He urged development partners to coordinate their financial and technical assistance with national priorities to avoid fragmented interventions and improve the effectiveness of malaria control programmes.
The minister commended the National Malaria Elimination Programme, the National Population Commission and other partners involved in the survey, while reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to stronger domestic financing, improved disease surveillance and a coordinated national response.
The government said the measures were aimed at reducing malaria infections and deaths across the country by 2030.
