Malaria Consortium Names Kogi First Lady ITN Ambassador

Kogi State governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has flagged off the 2026 Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) Mass Distribution Campaign, targeting 3,810,985 mosquito nets for 1,130,935 households across the state’s 21 local government areas.

The exercise, held over the weekend at the Government House, Lokoja, also featured the investiture of the First Lady, Hajia Sefinat Usman Ododo, as Kogi State ITN Ambassador by Malaria Consortium, in recognition of her role in promoting malaria prevention.

At the ceremony, Governor Ododo described malaria as a major public health challenge and a threat to economic prosperity, noting that the disease remains one of the leading causes of hospital visits in the state, particularly among children under five and pregnant women.

Represented by the commissioner for Health, Hon. Adams Adeiza, the governor said malaria contributes to maternal complications, miscarriages, low birth weight and anaemia, while imposing significant financial burdens on families through treatment expenses and loss of productivity.

He said the campaign, implemented in partnership with Malaria Consortium and other stakeholders, aimed to strengthen malaria prevention and protect residents across the state.

Ododo disclosed that the distribution of the nets would commence on 11 November 2026 and last for eight days, with trained personnel deployed to households and communities to ensure that all eligible beneficiaries were reached.

He assured residents that the exercise would cover all parts of the state, stressing that no community would be excluded.

“Let me be clear: This net is for every household in Kogi State. No ward, community, or village will be left behind,” he said.

The governor urged residents to collect their allocated nets, hang them properly and ensure that every member of their households sleeps under them every night.

He also warned against selling, diverting or using the nets for fishing and farming, describing them as critical tools for protecting families against malaria.

Ododo called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, women and youth groups to mobilise their communities and sensitise residents on the importance of participating in the campaign.

He further charged health workers, distribution teams and supervisors to ensure transparency, fairness and accountability, warning that his administration would not tolerate the diversion of mosquito nets.

The governor commended Malaria Consortium for its technical expertise, logistics support and commitment to the campaign, expressing optimism that the initiative would reduce malaria-related deaths, hospital visits and the financial burden on households.

Earlier, the West and Central Africa Programmes Director of Malaria Consortium, Dr. Kolawole Maxwell, described the campaign as a major investment in the health and wellbeing of Kogi residents.

Maxwell said the organisation, in collaboration with the Kogi State Government and the National Malaria Elimination Programme, had procured approximately 4 million World Health Organisation-recommended insecticide-treated nets for distribution across the state’s 21 local government areas and 239 wards.

He disclosed that 6,404 personnel had been trained and mobilised for the exercise, adding that mechanisms had been put in place to ensure that every household was registered and every net tracked.

According to him, the nets contain two active ingredients, pyrethroid and chlorfenapyr, which are designed to provide protection even in areas where mosquitoes have developed resistance to older insecticide-treated nets.

The Malaria Consortium director stressed that the success of the campaign would not be measured solely by the number of nets distributed but by the extent to which households consistently use them.

He urged residents to welcome distribution teams, collect their allocated nets and ensure that children under five, pregnant women and other household members sleep under them regularly.

In her acceptance speech, the First Lady and newly inaugurated ITN Ambassador, Hajia Sefinat Usman Ododo, expressed appreciation to Malaria Consortium, the state government and other partners for entrusting her with the responsibility.

Represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Acharu Okpanachi, the First Lady pledged to take the malaria prevention campaign to all 21 local government areas, wards, communities and households in the state.

She said her role would involve mobilising women, families, religious groups and other stakeholders to embrace the collection and consistent use of insecticide-treated nets.

“As your Net Ambassador, I make you this promise: I will not just wear this title. I will carry this message to every Local Government Area, to every ward, to every community, and to every household in Kogi State,” she said.

The First Lady also appealed to fathers and husbands to take responsibility for protecting their families by ensuring that every household member sleeps under a mosquito net.

She urged women to take the lead in malaria prevention, describing them as central to building a healthier future for the state.

Goodwill messages were delivered by the former Permanent Secretary of the Kogi State Ministry of Health, Alhaji S.O. Aliyu, representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kogi State Hospital Management Board and other stakeholders.

The highlight of the ceremony was the investiture of Hajia Sefinat Usman Ododo as Kogi State ITN Ambassador by Malaria Consortium.

The organisation expressed confidence in her capacity to promote malaria prevention and encourage households across the state to embrace the use of insecticide-treated nets.