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95% of fevers in Lagos not malaria – Commissioner
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The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, has said that 95 out of every 100 fevers experienced in Lagos are not caused by malaria.
Mr Abayomi said this at a three-day Study Kick-Off of Pathway to Pre-Elimination and Digitisation Project in the state. The focus was Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test and Microscopy Comparative Study & Assessment of PPMVS’ Capacity to Manage Malaria and Febrile Illnesses.
He said the critical finding is at the heart of a new, multi-pronged approach to fever management, designed to combat misdiagnosis and, crucially, to avert a looming crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
“We need to get malaria out of the region. It is very important that we do that once and for all, perform the mind shift in our healthcare providers that on average, 95 out of every 100 fevers that you may see are not caused by malaria,” he said.
He said for too long, the default response to fever in Lagos, and indeed nationwide, had been to administer anti-malarial drugs, often without proper diagnostic testing.
This practice, the commissioner warned, is not only wasteful but dangerous.
According to him, the widespread, often unnecessary use of anti-malarial and antibiotics is accelerating AMR, a global threat where common infections become untreatable.
“We are really sitting on a very major problem of microbial resistance. And we have to be careful how we dispense antimicrobials and antibiotics,” he said.
Mr Abayomi cited recent research indicating significant AMR in animals, with 60 per cent of human infections originating from them, stressing the interconnectedness of the problem.
Under the new “test, treat, and track” pathway/strategy, he said that Lagos residents presenting with fever will first undergo a Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) for malaria.
“If the result is negative, which is anticipated for the vast majority, healthcare providers will then conduct thorough examinations and investigations to pinpoint the true cause of the fever, be it pneumonia, gastroenteritis, or other infections,” he said.
He said the ministry is also tightening regulations on pharmacies.
Underscoring the urgency of the situation, he urged the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria to enforce this, noting that “If we don’t stop that practice, we are going to be the capital of antimicrobial resistance.”
To combat this, the ministry, with support from a World Bank grant, and in collaboration with the Wellington Oyibo’s Research Team, is instituting an evidence-based “test, treat, and track” pathway for fever management.
He said the cornerstone of this approach is rigorous testing for malaria first.
“If negative—which is expected for over 90 per cent of cases in Lagos—healthcare providers are then mandated to investigate other potential causes of the fever, ranging from common colds to more serious bacterial or viral infections like E. coli, salmonella, or dengue.”
The Director of the Centre for Transdisciplinary Research for Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, Wellington Oyibo, explained to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the grave consequences of not testing, also underscored the severity of misdiagnosis.
Mr Oyibo said: “If it’s a child that has pneumonia, pneumonia will present just the way you see some symptoms of malaria presenting.
“And you now give anti-malaria medicine without a test. What will happen to that child? That child will die quickly of pneumonia.”
He said key strategy to eliminating malaria in the state also includes a policy shift toward Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) over traditional microscopy due to RDTs’ proven accuracy and operational feasibility in low-resource settings.
He noted that Lagos State is the only state that epidemiological parameters qualified as a state at pre-elimination.
“This is significant milestone in the history of Nigeria but fever and other malaria-like symptoms, which are non-specific to malaria, are still diagnosed as malaria. this forms a significant contribution to high malaria burden reporting,” he said.
“This bold initiative aims to usher in an era of evidence-based medicine, where intellectual capacity and accurate diagnosis protect society from the cascading harms of incorrect treatment and drug resistance.”
(NAN)
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the transfer of former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, to the Kuje Correctional Centre to begin serving his 75-year prison sentence for corruption.
The directive followed his presentation in court on Tuesday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which also filed an application seeking the forfeiture of five additional properties linked to the convict.
During proceedings, the court was informed that Mamman fled Abuja to Kaduna shortly after his sentencing earlier in May, allegedly due to ill health. A relative, who assisted him, told the court he was unaware of the ownership of the apartment where the former minister was hiding.
Justice Omotosho ruled that Mamman’s sentence takes immediate effect, noting that he had been present in Abuja when judgment was delivered but absconded afterward.
The EFCC, through its Director of Public Prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo, requested a consequential order for the forfeiture of properties in Abuja and Kaduna allegedly acquired with illicit funds.
However, the court adjourned the forfeiture application to June 8, 2026, to allow Mamman secure legal representation and respond to the claims, after his counsel failed to appear in court.
Mamman was convicted on May 7, 2026, on a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering amounting to over ₦33.8bn. He was subsequently sentenced to a cumulative 75 years imprisonment.
The court had earlier issued a warrant for his arrest over repeated absence from proceedings. EFCC operatives later apprehended him on May 19 in Rigasa, Kaduna State, following intelligence-led operations.
Justice Christopher, a Nigerian activist popularly known as JusticeCrack, says Peter Obi worked behind the scenes to secure his release while he was in detention by the Department of State Services (DSS).
In a post shared on social media on Monday, the activist said he attended the aspirants’ dinner organised by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) after appearing in court on May 25.
He noted that Obi, a former governor of Anambra state, who described as his political principal, joined the NDC while he was still in DSS custody.
“While I was in detention, many people believed that Peter Obi had abandoned me, but what many did not know was that he was working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that I regained my freedom and that my wife and children were okay.
“At the same time, many Nigerians also stood up for me, spoke out, prayed, and demanded my release. For that, I will forever remain grateful.
“Today, more than ever, I am proud to call myself a Nigerian, and I still strongly believe that a new Nigeria is indeed possible and Nigeria will definitely be okay,” he stated.
Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has dismissed a viral report claiming that he won 45 million votes in a purported presidential primary election of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The claim, which circulated on social media and some online platforms, alleged that the former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate emerged as the winner of an NDC primary.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the spokesperson of the Peter Obi Media Office, Ibrahim Umar, the office said no such primary election was held.
It added that no results or figures were generated from any such process.
“The attention of the Peter Obi Media Office has been drawn to certain 45 million primary vote figures currently circulating on social media and various news platforms, purporting to be the breakdown of official results from an imaginary primary by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), ascribed to Mr Peter Obi,” the statement read.
The media office said the figures being circulated were “entirely false” and had no basis in reality.
It urged members of the public, supporters and media organisations to disregard the report.
The statement stressed that official information regarding Obi’s political engagements would only be released through verified and authorised communication channels.
The media office also accused those behind the publication of attempting to misrepresent Obi and link him to fraudulent narratives.
It said the former Anambra State governor should not be associated with any report concerning a primary election that never took place.
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