In a bold move to curb Nigeria’s malaria crisis, a nationwide youth competition has been launched to mobilize students across secondary and tertiary institutions in leading community-level malaria advocacy and intervention.
Unveiled in Abuja by Geneith Pharmaceuticals Ltd., in partnership with CEOAFRICA and Coastal Forte Softgel, the Geneith Health Competition is being hailed as the largest private-sector-backed youth health initiative in Nigeria’s history.
Representing the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the Director of Public Health, Dr. Godwin Ntadom, described the competition as a “timely and strategic intervention” in the nation’s prolonged battle with malaria.
“Despite hosting the world’s largest malaria summits in 2000 and 2023, Nigeria continues to bear the highest global burden of the disease,” Ntadom said. “It’s time to shift from talk to action, by empowering our youth to lead that charge.”
The competition directly targets junior and senior secondary school students as well as undergraduates, engaging them in health education, community outreach, and project development aimed at reducing malaria infections and deaths. It offers cash prizes ranging from ₦100,000 to ₦15 million at the state, regional, and national levels, marking an unprecedented investment in youth-led health advocacy.
Chairman of Geneith Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Umenwa Emmanuel, said the initiative goes beyond corporate social responsibility. “This is not just a campaign, it is a call to action to reimagine how we fight malaria,” he said. “We are placing tools in the hands of young Nigerians to innovate, advocate, and inspire behavioral change.”
