Nigeria’s Malaria Prevalence Drops to 15.2% as FG Targets 50% Reduction by 2030
By Pan Afric Reporters
The Federal Government has reported a decline in malaria parasite prevalence among Nigerian children aged six to 59 months from 22 per cent in 2021 to 15.2 per cent in 2025, setting a target to cut malaria prevalence and malaria-related deaths by 50 per cent from 2025 levels by 2030.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare disclosed this in a press release issued on Thursday, October 22, 2026, following the launch of the 2025 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey (NMIS) Report and the National Malaria Strategic Plan 2026–2030 in Abuja. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, who was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom S., mni, said the findings indicated progress in the country’s malaria-control efforts.
According to the minister, the reduction represents a 6.8 percentage-point decline in malaria prevalence among children under five, reflecting progress in efforts to improve public health under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. However, he cautioned that the improvement should not be mistaken for the elimination of the disease.
Pate cited Kebbi State as an example of progress, noting that malaria prevalence there fell from 49 per cent in 2021 to 18 per cent in 2025. He said the gains underscored the importance of sustained interventions, improved surveillance and targeted investments in areas with high malaria burdens.
The minister also highlighted the need to improve the consistent use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets. He disclosed that among households owning the nets, 72.3 per cent of children and 80.6 per cent of pregnant women slept under them, indicating that further efforts were needed to maximise the protective benefits of the intervention.
The newly launched National Malaria Strategic Plan 2026–2030 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.” The strategy also adopts a sub-national tailoring approach, directing interventions towards high-burden communities based on local epidemiological evidence.
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, combining technical expertise in malaria control with the commission’s survey infrastructure and field operations.
Muhammed 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 are most needed.
Pate called on state governments to take ownership of their respective survey findings, align malaria-control plans and budgets with identified needs, and ensure timely release of funds to support implementation. He also urged development partners to align their financial and technical assistance with Nigeria’s national priorities.
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 strengthening domestic financing, improving surveillance and sustaining a coordinated and accountable national response.
The government said these measures would be critical to achieving the 2030 target of reducing malaria prevalence and malaria-attributable deaths by half from their 2025 levels.
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