Africa’s richest man and President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has been appointed as chairman of the Nigeria End Malaria Council (NEMC).

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja inaugurated the Council.

Other members of the Council are: Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Board of Directors, UBA; Folurunsho Alakija, CEO, Rose of Sharon Group; Herbert Wigwe, CEO, Access Bank; Femi Otedola, CEO Forte Oil; Hajiya Lami Lau, President, National Council of Women Societies; John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Emertius Archbishop of Abuja Catholic Archdiocese; Shehu Ibrahim, Permanent Secretary, Office of the Vice President on Political and Economic Affairs.

Others include, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF); Sen. Yahaya Oloriegbe, Chairman, Senate Committee on Health; Hon. Abubakar Dahiru, Chairman, House Committee on AIDS, TB and Malaria; Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire; Minister of State for Health, Joseph Ekumankama; Mahmuda Mamman, Permanent Secretary, Federal Minister of Health.Alhaja Rafiyat Sanni, National Amira, Federation of Muslim Women Nigeria (FOWAN) and Dr. Perpetua Uhomoibhi, NEMC Secretariat/National Coordinator, National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP).

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The President told the 16-member Council headed by the founder and president of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, that beyond improving the quality of life, health and well-being of Nigerians, the concerted strategy to tackle malaria had both public health as well as socio-economic benefits for Nigeria.

“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,” the President said.

Buhari said the successful implementation of the Council’s agenda and savings from the estimated economic burden of the disease would save Nigeria about N687 billion in 2022 and N2 trillion by 2030.

Dangote thanked the President and all members of the Council for entrusting him with the enormous responsibility, pledging to work hard to achieve the mandate.

“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,” he said.

The Star