Editorial
Need For Concerted Effort Against Malaria
The United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in a message to mark the world malaria Day last week, applauded the progress made in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of malaria by the global community.
Ban expressed satisfaction that in a short time, the world has gone from simply trying to hold malaria at bay to the realistic goal of delivering effective and affordable care to all who need it.
The secretary General also noted that since 2003, international commitment to malaria control had increased more than five folds to 1.7 billion dollars in 2009, while the scientific community had also set a research agenda for developing the tools and strategies that would eradicate malaria.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), on its part, said its campaign to confirm diagnosis of malaria before treatment was yielding results with a new evaluation of malaria rapid diagnostic test that helps health workers quickly identify which patients had the disease and the need for immediate treatment.
Amidst these progress reports, the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Ms Ann Venemean had cautioned during the World Malaria Day celebration, that though there was evidence to show that malaria control interventions work, there was need for it to be scaled up if the UN Secretary General’s goal of universal coverage for all endemic countries were to be achieved in December, 2010.
Venemean’s advice is timely, especially for Nigeria which has been identified as one of the malaria endemic countries, accounting for an estimated 300,000 of the 850,000 global annual malaria mortality rate.
The current malaria death toll is unarguably too high to be ignored, especially when one considers the fact that majority of these deaths occur among the most vulnerable groups – women, and children under five years of age.
There is no better time for the government and people of Nigeria to redouble their pace and join the international community in the match towards eradication of the malaria pandemics than now that the world appears fully sensitized, willing and are indeed making commendable strides to bailout the sub-Saharan Africa, where over 90 per cent of malaria incidences occur.
We urge governments in Nigeria to rise up to their obligations of strengthening public health institutions through increased funding and monitoring, procurement of genuine drugs, distribution of mosquito treated nets and mounting of effective environmental control systems in all parts of the country, but above all, attention must also, be paid to the preventive approach to malaria control. The citizenry must be continuously enlightened and sensitized on their individual responsibilities.
For instance, individuals must be made to appreciate the need to keep their immediate environments clean in order to dislodge mosquito habitats such as dirty ponds, grasses and blocked drinage systems. We must also be enlightened enough on the need to avoid self-medication, a culture that is often boosted by poverty and high cost of medicare.
Undoubtedly, malaria attack has for long remained a major threat to the working population, limiting optimum performance among workers and reducing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
But of course, the bigger tragedy is in the high mortality rate recorded mostly among women and children.
We therefore, insist that the campaign against malaria must neither be left for the international community and donor agencies alone nor the governments of Nigeria or individuals. Only a concerted effort against malaria can eradicate the disease and save not only Nigeria but the entire sub-Saharan Africa from the huge losses incurred as a result of the high prevalence rate of malaria.
When Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, received the Board and Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), led by its Chairman, Senator Adeyeye Adedayo Clement, his message was unmistakable: Rivers’ seaports remain underutilised, and Nigeria is poorer for it. The governor’s lament was a sad reminder of how neglect and centralisation continue to choke the nation’s economic arteries.
The governor, in his remarks at Government House, Port Harcourt, expressed concern that the twin seaports — the NPA in Port Harcourt and the Onne Seaport — have not been operating at their full potential. He underscored that seaports are vital engines of national development, pointing out that no prosperous nation thrives without efficient ports and airports. His position aligns with global realities that maritime trade remains the backbone of industrial expansion and international commerce.
Indeed, the case of Rivers State is peculiar. It hosts two major ports strategically located along the Bonny River axis, yet cargo throughput has remained dismally low compared to Lagos. According to NPA’s 2023 statistics, Lagos ports (Apapa and Tin Can Island) handled over 75 per cent of Nigeria’s container traffic, while Onne managed less than 10 per cent. Such a lopsided distribution is neither efficient nor sustainable.
Governor Fubara rightly observed that the full capacity operation of Onne Port would be transformative. The area’s vast land mass and industrial potential make it ideal for ancillary businesses — warehousing, logistics, ship repair, and manufacturing. A revitalised Onne would attract investors, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth, not only in Rivers State but across the Niger Delta.
The multiplier effect cannot be overstated. The port’s expansion would boost clearing and forwarding services, strengthen local transport networks, and revitalise the moribund manufacturing sector. It would also expand opportunities for youth employment — a pressing concern in a state where unemployment reportedly hovers around 32 per cent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Yet, the challenge lies not in capacity but in policy. For years, Nigeria’s maritime economy has been suffocated by excessive centralisation. Successive governments have prioritised Lagos at the expense of other viable ports, creating a traffic nightmare and logistical bottlenecks that cost importers and exporters billions annually. The governor’s call, therefore, is a plea for fairness and pragmatism.
Making Lagos the exclusive maritime gateway is counter productive. Congestion at Tin Can Island and Apapa has become legendary — ships often wait weeks to berth, while truck queues stretch for kilometres. The result is avoidable demurrage, product delays, and business frustration. A more decentralised port system would spread economic opportunities and reduce the burden on Lagos’ overstretched infrastructure.
Importers continue to face severe difficulties clearing goods in Lagos, with bureaucratic delays and poor road networks compounding their woes. The World Bank’s Doing Business Report estimates that Nigerian ports experience average clearance times of 20 days — compared to just 5 days in neighbouring Ghana. Such inefficiency undermines competitiveness and discourages foreign investment.
Worse still, goods transported from Lagos to other regions are often lost to accidents or criminal attacks along the nation’s perilous highways. Reports from the Federal Road Safety Corps indicate that over 5,000 road crashes involving heavy-duty trucks occurred in 2023, many en route from Lagos. By contrast, activating seaports in Rivers, Warri, and Calabar would shorten cargo routes and save lives.
The economic rationale is clear: making all seaports operational will create jobs, enhance trade efficiency, and boost national revenue. It will also help diversify economic activity away from the overburdened South West, spreading prosperity more evenly across the federation.
Decentralisation is both an economic strategy and an act of national renewal. When Onne, Warri, and Calabar ports operate optimally, hinterland states benefit through increased trade and infrastructure development. The federal purse, too, gains through taxes, duties, and improved productivity.
Tin Can Island, already bursting at the seams, exemplifies the perils of over-centralisation. Ships face berthing delays, containers stack up, and port users lose valuable hours navigating chaos. The result is higher operational costs and lower competitiveness. Allowing states like Rivers to fully harness their maritime assets would reverse this trend.
Compelling all importers to use Lagos ports is an anachronistic policy that stifles innovation and local enterprise. Nigeria cannot achieve its industrial ambitions by chaining its logistics system to one congested city. The path to prosperity lies in empowering every state to develop and utilise its natural advantages — and for Rivers, that means functional seaports.
Fubara’s call should not go unheeded. The Federal Government must embrace decentralisation as a strategic necessity for national growth. Making Rivers’ seaports work is not just about reviving dormant infrastructure; it is about unlocking the full maritime potential of a nation yearning for balance, productivity, and shared prosperity.
