News
Nigeria accounts for 31% of malaria deaths, 27% of total cases worldwide
Nigeria accounts for 31 percent of global malaria deaths and 27 percent of total cases worldwide, according to the World Malaria Report 2024.
The country also accounted for nearly 40% of worldwide malaria deaths among children under five.
About 55 million cases of malaria and 90,000 malaria-related deaths occur in the country every year, while the economic burden of the disease in the country was estimated at $1.6b (N687 billion) in 2022 and may increase to about $2.8b (N2 trillion) in 2030.
Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
Speaking at the event organised by the ministry in collaboration with the Gates Foundation and other partners to commemorate the World Malaria Day in Abuja, Minister of State for Health, Dr Adekunle Salako, said that Nigeria, malaria had continued to be a major public health issue, with children under five years of age and pregnant women being most at risk.
Salako noted that the disease not only causes suffering and death but also disrupts the economic ecosystem by hindering productivity and increasing healthcare costs.
He said, “I am particularly concerned by the statistics revealed in the World Malaria Report (WMR) 2024 which shows that Nigeria alone is responsible for 27% of the global malaria cases and 31% of the global malaria deaths. This highlights the urgent need for proactive action to prevent and eliminate this deadly disease within our borders.”
Salako observed that the federal Government is to implement Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) in the 21 SMC-eligible states and provide approximately 30 million under-five children with malaria preventive medicines.
He stated that efforts are being made to improve the availability of malaria treatment and diagnostic services in all the states, including those states currently affected by the United States’ “Stop Work Order” by the US Government.
The minister noted that, to ensure last-mile delivery, an integrated supply chain mechanism, coordinated by the National Product Supply Chain Management Programme will be utilised to ensure efficient delivery of these life-saving commodities to where they are most needed.
He observed that the government has made adequate budgetary allocation to fill the funding gap created by the freeze in USAID/PMI malaria elimination activities in Nigeria.
According to the government, urgent malaria commodity needs in USAID/PMI-supported health facilities in the affected states have been identified and will be procured through the Procurement and Supply Chain Management Unit in collaboration with the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC).
Salako said that the commodities to be procured include Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs), Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits, Injectable artesunate for severe malaria, and Sulfadoxine/Pyrimethamine (SP) combination drugs for pregnant women.
The minister expressed concern over the statistics from the World Malaria Report (WMR) 2024, which shows that Nigeria alone is responsible for 27% of the global malaria cases and 31% of the global malaria deaths, saying that this highlights the urgent need for proactive action to prevent and eliminate this deadly disease.
He stated that the government has initiated the processes to pilot, for the first time, Larval Source Management in six states, which include: Abia, Borno, Ekiti, Lagos, Ondo, and Rivers States.
Salako observed that the federal government has deployed a phased rollout of the Malaria Vaccine in Kebbi and Bayelsa State, benefitting children aged 5-23 months (with around 80,000 eligible children receiving MV1) adding that the rollout of the Vaccine will be expanded to an additional 17 states in 2025 as part of our scale-up plan.
He noted that eliminating malaria and other related diseases is topmost in the agendas of this administration, adding that the government, through the Rethinking Malaria Initiative, has put into action key strategies to change the narratives and drive a more effective and efficient malaria elimination goal.
Salako observed that among these actions are the implementation of a Pragmatic costed plan that is based on sub-national tailoring of key malaria interventions and the establishment of an Advisory on Malaria Elimination in Nigeria (AMEN) which is harnessing top malaria experts across the globe to provide technical assistance support for the country’s efforts in eliminating malaria.
He added that through the support of partners, the government had also put evidence-based interventions in place to achieve a malaria-free Nigeria by 2030, including increasing access to insecticide-treated mosquito nets, which it plans to implement in 12 states this year.
According to him, the states include Akwa Ibom, Delta, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Oyo, Taraba and Yobe states.
He said, “We are working to strengthen our health systems and improve surveillance and data collection to better track the spread of malaria. This year, we are implementing two major surveys: The Rapid Impact Assessment and Malaria Indicator Surveys, both of which would help us to determine the effectiveness of our interventions and track progress towards our goals. The Rapid Impact Assessment will provide us with quick and actionable data on the short-term outcomes of our interventions, while the Malaria Indicator Survey will give us a better understanding of the prevalence and impact of malaria in the country.”
The minister stated that the theme of this year’s World Malaria Day, “Malaria Ends with Us: Reinvest, Reignite, reimagine”, is a call to take ownership and make the necessary decisions that will help us achieve our goal of eliminating this deadly disease.
“The accompanying slogan, “Stay Committed”, serves as a call to action for all of us, government, partners, businesses, communities and individuals to continue the efforts in the fight against malaria. We cannot become complacent in our efforts to reduce the burden of malaria. We must remain persistent and focused on our goal of eliminating this disease from our country. We owe it to the Nigerian people and the whole of humanity to continue pushing forward until we have achieved our mission.”
The minister who underscored the important role of the private sector in combating malaria said, “As a major contributor to the country’s economy, the private sector has the resources and expertise to support our efforts.
“We are working with the Nigeria End Malaria Council, a public-private partnership mechanism chaired by world-renowned businessman and philanthropist, Aliko Dangote to mobilize additional funding and other resources to support the implementation of the National Malaria Elimination Programme.
In an interview with The Guardian, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Mr Auwal Rafsanjani, said that the financial burden of malaria treatment can be devastating for families, pushing them further into poverty and perpetuating a cycle of illness and economic hardship.
Rafsanjani noted that the high cost of malaria drugs undermines the progress made in reducing malaria-related morbidity and mortality, as many people are unable to access the treatment they need.
He said, “The impact of high malaria drug costs on the 2030 malaria elimination target cannot be overstated. Access to affordable and effective treatment is critical to reducing malaria transmission and achieving elimination. If left unchecked, the high cost of malaria drugs will continue to hinder progress towards this goal, perpetuating the suffering and loss of life caused by this preventable disease.”
Rafsanjani emphasised the need to increase access to affordable and effective malaria treatment, particularly for vulnerable populations.
According to him, this can be achieved through various strategies, including subsidies, price controls, and public-private partnerships.
“By making malaria treatment more accessible and affordable, Nigeria can accelerate progress towards malaria elimination and protect the health and well-being of its citizens,” he said.
-Guardian
Entertainment
Davido breaks silence after Grammy Award loss
Five-time Grammy nominee, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has reacted after losing the Best African Music Performance category at the 68th Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles, United States.
The Afrobeats star shared a message of faith and resilience following the outcome of the ceremony, which took place on Sunday night at the Crypto.com Arena in California.
In a post on his Instagram page, Davido shared photos with his wife, Chioma, from the event and wrote, “Oluwa Dey my side,” alongside prayer and music emojis.
Hours later, he posted another set of pictures of himself and Chioma at the Grammys, reflecting on the loss in a longer caption.
“I said baby listen we lost again let’s not go ! she said ‘Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat’ we outside,” he wrote.
Chioma also reacted via her Instagram page, praising the singer, “You already know that you’re the perfect one, @davido,” she wrote, while sharing photos from the awards night.
Davido was nominated in the Best African Music Performance category at the 2026 Grammy Awards but lost to South African singer Tyla, who won with her song Push 2 Start.
Other nominees in the category included Burna Boy (Love), Ayra Starr and Wizkid (Gimme Dat), Davido (With You featuring Omah Lay), and Eddy Kenzo and Mehran Matin (Hope & Love).
The win marked Tyla’s second Grammy Award, following her first victory in 2024 for her hit single Water.
Speaking during the awards ceremony, the singer revealed that With You, featuring Omah Lay, almost did not make the final tracklist of his album 5IVE.
“Man, it’s so crazy because that song almost didn’t make the album. With You was not in anybody’s top five.
“And now look at it go. Every time I was performing it, my heart would just start beating like, what if I didn’t put this song?” he told OkayAfrica.
Davido also recounted how he learned about the Grammy nomination, saying the news came unexpectedly while he was in Dubai, days before his birthday.
“I was in the car, actually, checking a car, and then my phone rang. They were like, ‘Oh yeah, another nomination.’ I was like, wow. Thank God,” he said.
“With You” was released in April 2025 as the 17th track on Davido’s fifth studio album, 5IVE, and has since become one of his most successful recent records, surpassing 100 million streams on Spotify.
Despite the song’s success, Nigeria did not record a win at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
Davido said he is now focused on touring and releasing new music.
He is also billed to perform at Coachella 2026, where he will be the only Nigerian artiste on the festival lineup, performing on April 11 and April 18, 2026, in Indio, California.
-Guardian
Entertainment
Kunle Afolayan gives reasons to marry many women
Nollywood filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan, has stirred reactions after advising men to “marry many women” while reflecting on his upbringing in a polygamous home.
The actor and producer made the remarks at the watch party of Aníkúlápó: The Ghoul Awakens, with a clip from the event going viral on Tuesday.
Speaking at the event, Afolayan linked his existence and achievements to his late father’s decision to marry several wives.
“Without my father, there wouldn’t have been a KAP Village or even Kunle Afolayan. I am the seventh born of my father because my father had ten wives. For the men, marry many women, or rather be involved with many women. You know why? If my father didn’t, he would not have born me, and that is the honest truth. But today, a few of us are lifting his legacy. Life is short, death is constant. Nobody has life forever. Everybody has a period. Use your period,” he said.
While his daughter, Eyiyemi Afolayan, joined him on stage, the filmmaker compared his childhood experience with his relationship with his children.
“They are lucky. For her, staying by my side is luck. Do you know why? I couldn’t stand it with my father. My father didn’t know my school. My father didn’t know my date of birth. He did not know anything about me other than, ‘He is the son of that person.’ But today, I’m so proud of my father,” he added.
Afolayan also spoke about fatherhood.
“Sometimes when people say ‘Happy Father’s Day,’ I’m always saying whether he pays child support or not, he’s still a father. I have been going to court because I want to get a divorce. I don’t mind being in the witness box, and I experienced the shit, so that I can marry many wives,” he said.
He thereafter prayed for his daughter, praising her role in the series.
“Hephzibah, her mother is the one who gave her the name. I don’t care, but I am proud of you. You started with the film, you did the first season, and now with the second season, you did amazingly well. My good Lord will continue to increase you in wisdom, in knowledge, and in understanding. If this is your path, the good Lord will see you through.”
However, this is not the first time the filmmaker has spoken about his late father’s polygamous lifestyle.
In March 2021, Afolayan told BBC Pidgin that his father, Adeyemi Afolayan, who died in 1996, married 10 wives and had 25 children, a decision he said took a toll on the family.
“I would not want to marry many wives because my father had 10 wives and I knew what happened throughout that period. I knew that really distracted my father. In this age, nobody needs to tell you before you know what’s right,” he said at the time.
He also disclosed that growing up in a polygamous home affected bonding among the children due to language and other barriers.
Afolayan further narrated how he battled poverty in his early years, revealing that he once lived in a one-room apartment in Ebute-Metta and sometimes had to deal with flooding.
“I was born in Ebute-Metta and have lived in one-room apartment before that we even have to grapple with flood sometimes. It’s not shame to say have been poor before. But if you see how l made it, it’s a matter of consistency. My father was a very popular filmmaker and ordinarily, people would expect me to life the kind of live akin to Hollywood stars,” he said.
“But that wasn’t the case. How would one live such life when you’re living in a room with ten women. That doesn’t mean there was no love among us.”
He had advised young filmmakers to start with the little resources available to them while working towards their dreams.
-Guardian
Article
Court adjourns Ganduje’s corruption trial to April 15
A Kano State High Court has adjourned until April 15 the trial of former governor Abdullahi Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat Umar, and son, Abdullahi Umar, alongside five other defendants, over alleged misappropriation of public funds amounting to billions of naira.
The defendants are facing an 11-count charge bordering on bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds. The remaining accused persons are Abubakar Bawuro, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd, and Lasage General Enterprises Ltd.
At the resumed hearing, the prosecution told the court it was ready to proceed and drew attention to a motion dated November 24, 2025, seeking leave to file additional proof of evidence.
However, defence lawyers raised objections, informing the court that multiple applications were pending and must be resolved before the trial could continue.
Lydia Oluwakemi-Oyewo, counsel to some of the defendants, said the defence had filed a motion dated July 17, 2025, seeking a stay of proceedings.
Adekunle Taiye-Falola, representing the third and seventh defendants, also referred to a separate motion dated May 23, 2025.
In addition, Muhammad Shehu, counsel to the fifth defendant, told the court that an affidavit had been filed notifying it of a pending application for stay of proceedings before the Court of Appeal.
Abubakar Ahmad, counsel to the sixth defendant, informed the court that he had filed a notice of preliminary objection and an application for extension of time to respond on points of law dated February 2, urging the court to fix a date for hearing.
Only Faruk Asekome, counsel to the eighth defendant, indicated readiness to proceed with the trial.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the presiding judge, Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu, adjourned the matter to April 15 for the hearing of all pending applications and preliminary objections.
The trial has suffered repeated delays due to legal challenges. The high court had earlier dismissed preliminary objections raised by the defence as “incompetent” and affirmed its jurisdiction to hear the case.
That ruling was appealed by the defendants, who argued that the trial court lacked jurisdiction. However, in October 2025, the Kano Division of the Court of Appeal struck out the appeal, citing failure to properly transmit the record of appeal.
-Guardian
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