In a decisive move to advance coordinated and evidence-driven responses to Nigeria’s malaria burden, PUNCH Media Foundation (PMF), convened a high-level, multi-sectoral webinar tagged Malaria in Nigeria: A Shared Fight, A Collective Solution on Tuesday, 28 April 2026. The virtual convening brought together experts and stakeholders from diverse sectors, including policy, healthcare, research, civil society, and the media, to interrogate Nigeria’s malaria response architecture and identify practical pathways to strengthen prevention, diagnosis, treatment and accountability systems.
The webinar, moderated by Development Communications Professional and Journalist at PUNCH Newspapers, Deborah Tolu-Kolawole, was hosted on Zoom and livestreamed on PUNCH’s Facebook and X platforms to deepen national conversations on malaria and foster broad public engagement needed to inspire stronger policy action and collective behavioural change in Nigeria.
Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Ilorin and Strategic Adviser on Malaria Elimination at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Olugbenga Mokuolu, shared insights from both clinical and policy perspectives. He explained that malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasite and transmitted through mosquito bites, clearly dispelling myths that link the disease to environmental exposure, stress, or spiritual causes.
From a research and diagnostics standpoint, the Director of the Centre for Transdisciplinary Research in Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases at the University of Lagos, Professor Wellington Oyibo, highlighted a critical gap in healthcare delivery, stressing that improper use of malaria test kits continues to drive misdiagnosis. He underscored the need for strict adherence to the “Test, Treat and Track” approach as a non-negotiable standard for effective malaria control.
Providing insights into patient behaviour and healthcare realities, the immediate past National President of the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners, Dr Kayode Adesola, addressed the long-standing culture of presumptive treatment, describing the widespread assumption of “malaria and typhoid” as a combined diagnosis as a dangerous misconception that must be corrected to improve treatment accuracy and health outcomes.
From a community engagement perspective, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Serendipity Healthcare Foundation, Hajiya Samirah Faruk, highlighted the importance of grassroots mobilisation in sustaining malaria prevention efforts, emphasising that behavioural change, trust-building and community ownership are critical to ensuring that interventions translate into real impact at the local level.
Speaking from the media standpoint, the Editor of PUNCH HealthWise, Mrs Angela Onwuzoo, reinforced the role of journalism as a bridge between science and society, noting that effective communication is essential for translating health knowledge into public understanding and action, while also holding institutions accountable for delivering on malaria control commitments.
Participants at the webinar had the opportunity to contribute to the conversation and seek clarifications on key concerns around malaria control. The question-and-answer session addressed the rollout of the malaria vaccine for children under two in selected states, with plans for expansion, alongside strategies for effective community engagement through local leaders. Experts also reiterated the importance of proper testing to avoid misdiagnosis and cautioned against unreliable diagnostic methods, while highlighting emerging vector control innovations currently at experimental stages.
Among the notable participants at the webinar were the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of PUNCH Nigeria Limited, Mr Adeyeye Joseph, and the Immediate Past Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Mr Ademola Osinubi, fondly referred to as MD Emeritus, further underscoring the institution’s commitment to advancing public interest discourse and strengthening accountability across critical sectors.
At a time when Nigeria continues to bear the highest share of the global malaria burden, PMF leverages the PUNCH Webinar Series as a platform for influence, knowledge exchange and policy-relevant dialogue, ensuring that critical national issues are translated into actionable solutions. The webinar reinforced the urgent need to move beyond fragmented interventions toward aligned, system-wide execution. It underscored that addressing Nigeria’s malaria burden requires stronger alignment between policy and practice, improved data integrity, sustained community engagement, and a coordinated multi-sector response.
PUNCH Media Foundation (PMF) is the development arm of PUNCH Nigeria Limited. It was established in 2019 with a mission to stimulate a just, inclusive, and thriving civic space using the instrument of accountability journalism, digital journalism, public policy advocacy and media development. PMF leverages the power of the media, technology and advocacy to drive sustainable social change in Nigeria.
