President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday appointed Alhaji Aliko Dangote as Chairman of Nigeria End Malaria Council.
Buhari announced Dangote’s appointment and 15 other members of the council at its inauguration in line with the African Union Assembly Declaration for the Establishment of EMCs continent-wide.
This was the subject of a statement the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina released, in which he quoted his principal to have said that an end to malaria would be of huge benefits to the country in several ways.
Attributing the statement to his boss, Adesina wrote, “Our inauguration today will, therefore, ensure that malaria elimination remains a priority on our agenda, with strong political commitment from leaders at all levels.
“Additionally, the End Malaria Council will provide a platform to advocate for more funding to protect and sustain progress made so far by our country, and put us on a pathway to ending malaria for good.”
He later wrote of Dangote’s acceptance speech: “I must confess that this resonates with my current role as the Nigerian Ambassador for Malaria, my role on the Global End Malaria Council and with the work that my Foundation is doing to mobilise the private sector to support malaria control in Nigeria and Africa at large.”
The Council members include, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum; Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Sen. Yahaya Oloriegbe; Chairman, House Committee on AIDS, TB and Malaria, Abubakar Dahiru; Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire; Minister of State for Health, Ekumankama; and the Permanent Secretary, Federal Minister of Health, Mahmuda Mamman.
