Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) by 2030, with Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Kunle Salako, calling for stronger partnerships to achieve universal health coverage.
Speaking at the 2025 World NTD Day commemoration in Abuja, Dr. Salako highlighted Nigeria’s substantial NTD burden, accounting for 25% of cases in Africa. Over 200 million Nigerians remain at risk of these diseases, with 165 million requiring preventive treatment. He attributed the prevalence of NTDs to poverty, poor sanitation, and unsafe water, which disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, especially women and children.
Despite these challenges, Dr. Salako noted Nigeria’s achievements, such as eradicating Guinea Worm in 2013 and eliminating Onchocerciasis in Plateau and Nasarawa States. This year’s campaign theme, “Unite, Act, and Eliminate NTDs,” stresses the need for innovative and sustainable financing to meet the 2030 targets. The country’s 2023–2027 NTD Master Plan outlines strategies for advocacy and stakeholder engagement to drive progress.
Dr. Salako emphasized the importance of the WHO’s 2021–2030 NTD Roadmap, which offers ambitious goals and innovative approaches. He underscored Nigeria’s focus on accountability, multi-sectoral integration, and political commitment to sustain momentum. Additionally, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Unlock Healthcare Value Chain initiative aims to address pharmaceutical shortages and boost local manufacturing, a crucial step in tackling NTDs and achieving universal health coverage.
Development partners such as WHO, UNICEF, USAID, and NGOs were praised for their support. Aliyu Mohammed, Country Director of Helen Keller International, reaffirmed his organization’s dedication to helping Nigeria eliminate leprosy and other NTDs as part of the broader fight against poverty. UNICEF consultant Hilary Adie stressed the role of clean water and sanitation, thanking the government for its efforts to ensure open-defecation-free communities through the Clean Nigeria Campaign.
Abdulazeez Musa, Country Director of CBM Global, emphasized the urgency of sustainable funding and equitable healthcare solutions, warning that delays would cost lives and prolong suffering. Meanwhile, Peter Iorkighir, National President of IDEA Nigeria, criticized the lack of life-saving Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT) medications, calling it a human rights violation. He urged the government to address bureaucratic hurdles that leave thousands untreated for curable diseases like leprosy.
With continued commitment and collaboration, stakeholders hope to eliminate NTDs, improve public health, and support Nigeria’s sustainable development goals.