Pharmaceutical firm unveils national competition portal to tackle malaria

A pharmaceutical firm, Geneith Pharmaceuticals Limited, has launched a national online portal to engage secondary and tertiary school students in Nigeria in a health competition aimed at combating malaria.
The portal, unveiled in Abuja over the weekend, is part of activities commemorating the 2025 World Malaria Day.

The initiative, which seeks to harness the creativity and passion of young Nigerians in raising awareness and developing innovative strategies for malaria prevention, is being done in collaboration with CEO Africa.

With over N1 billion committed to the programme, the organisers said N400 million will go to student prizes, while N600 million will be used for educational materials and gifts for participants across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of Geneith Pharmaceuticals, Emmanuel Umenwa, described malaria as a major public health threat in Nigeria.

Mr Umenwa cited the World Health Organisation data indicating that Nigeria accounts for 27% of global malaria cases and 31% of related deaths.

He stressed that combating malaria demands innovation and youth-driven ideas beyond funding and access to healthcare.

“Our target is also to reignite our passion for the battle against malaria. This will involve rejuvenating our collective commitment to the cause, especially among our youth, who are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but also the change-makers of today,” he said.

“We do this by motivating them to take action. We will be empowering them to become champions of public health, who will assist to spread the message of prevention and awareness in their communities.”

He added that the initiative aims to empower young people to champion public health causes by using their creativity to promote malaria prevention within their communities.

Timely initiative

Also, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, said malaria remains a major challenge with emotional, economic, and infrastructural impacts.

Mr Pate, represented by the Director of Public Health, Godwin Ntadom, commended the organisers for the initiative, describing it as “laudable and impactful.”

He said the project is strategic in the ongoing battle against malaria.

Cletus Ilobanafor, the managing director of CEOAfrica, explained the competition format and said it would be conducted nationwide and structured as a quiz competition between the Junior Secondary School, the Senior Secondary School, and the Tertiary Institution.

Mr Ilobonafor said the first round will be online at the state level, after which winners will proceed to physical regional-level contests.

“From there, winners progress to the regional stage and then to the national finals. Only the top participant in each stage moves to the next,” he said.

He said the competition will run on a one-year cycle, with registration starting 1 June.

He added that a 14-member College of Assessors from various healthcare sectors will oversee the process.

Malaria burden

At a recent event, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, warned that malaria continues to strain Nigeria’s economy and health system.

Mr Salako stressed that malaria remains “often underestimated and referred to as ordinary despite its devastating impact on individuals and communities.”

“In Nigeria, malaria continues to be a major public health issue, with children under five years of age and pregnant women being most at risk,” he said.

“This disease not only causes suffering and death, but it also disrupts the economic ecosystem by hindering productivity and increasing healthcare costs.”

World Malaria Day is marked every year on 25 April to raise awareness about the global effort to control and eradicate the disease.