The Senate has passed for third reading a bill seeking the establishment of the National Agency for Malaria Elimination, aimed at coordinating efforts to prevent, control, and eventually eradicate malaria in Nigeria.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), was passed following the consideration and adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), chaired by Senator Ipalibo Harry Banigo (Rivers West).

According to the committee, the proposed agency will coordinate national malaria elimination programmes and shift the country’s response from treatment-focused interventions to prevention and eradication strategies.

The agency is also expected to establish zonal and state offices to drive implementation through a framework anchored on law, science and accountability.

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, described the legislation as a landmark step in the fight against malaria, noting that the disease remains one of Nigeria’s most common health challenges.

Speaking with senate correspondents after the passage, Nwoko expressed confidence that malaria elimination in Nigeria is both practical and achievable.

He said the proposed agency would deploy strategies such as effective waste management, environmental fumigation and vaccine research to combat the disease, adding that its establishment could position Nigeria as the first malaria-free country in Africa.