The week has witnessed reports of Nigerians helplessly preyed on by menacing mosquitoes and played by Nigeria’s elections mafia, who operate openly but meet clandestinely from Abuja to Portharcourt, from Paris to London, and from Abeokuta to Minna.

They are also puzzled by the NNPC Limited Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari’s exposition on the extractive sector – his expostulation of every criminal gang and oil sector saboteur, including faith-based organisations like churches and mosques, except his own widely suspected NNPC holy oil parish, where he presides as Nigeria’s crude chief priest. 

However, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col Hameed Ali (retd.), thinks the reverse is the case. Speaking before the House of Representatives Committee on Finance, he argued that Mr Mele Kyari and his NNPC league of priests are the chief saboteurs and greatest looters of the public treasury through their phoney petrol subsidy deductions. 

Top of these, Nigerian university students are perplexed by the commotion between ASUU and the federal government, the leadership of some state Universities, the National Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), and even the Congress of Nigeria University Academics (CONUA), an intending competitive body with ASUU.

The 2022 Environment: Mosquitoes winning, Man losing

The Mosquito is celebrated on August 20th worldwide but mainly for the wrong reasons. No one celebrates the mosquito for all the bedtime lullaby it sings in their ears or appreciates its blood-curdling cuddle of those without a teddy bear to clutch at. 

In short, people celebrate the mosquito every August because they hate it.

They observe World Mosquito Day as a memorial to all human beings, old and young, that have perished by the bite of this world’s most ferocious predator. They mark the day to measure how far they have gone in their resolve to wipe out the mosquito race from the face of the earth.

In short, humans mark Mosquito Day in the hope that one day they would all be delivered from its physical oppressions and the huge cost of prosecuting centuries-old wars with its malefic race. 

Thinking on these hopes, Azeez Olaniyan, a professor of environmental politics, said “Part of research is also to know how to eliminate anopheles mosquito by neutralising its potency to transfer the disease to human beings.

Although the continent is the most impacted by mosquito-induced maladies, Professor Olaniyan regretted that “Most of the research that is being done to treat and control mosquitoes are not carried out in Africa. African governments have not really invested, they have not shown enough concern”.

According to the WHO:

• In 2020, there were an estimated 241 million cases of malaria worldwide.
• The estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 627,000 in 2020.
• The WHO African Region carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. 
• In 2020, the region was home to 95% of malaria cases and 96% of malaria deaths. Children under 5 accounted for about 80% of all malaria deaths in the Region.

Twenty-nine countries accounted for 96% of malaria cases globally, and six countries – Nigeria (27%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12%), Uganda (5%), Mozambique (4%), Angola (3.4%) and Burkina Faso (3.4%) – accounted for about 55% of all cases globally.

About 96% of malaria deaths globally were in 29 countries. Six countries – Nigeria (27%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12%), Uganda (5%), Mozambique (4%), Angola (3%) and Burkina Faso (3%) – accounted for just over half of all malaria deaths globally in 2020.

However, Ebuta Agbo, the Vice President of Medical Initiative for Africa, links this high prevalence of malaria in Africa to inadequate funding for healthcare services. On the prevailing malaria scourge in Africa, he said:

“This is not surprising when you look at the contribution to health spending per capita in Africa the percentage of health spending is between $8 to $29 per capita as opposed to other developed countries where we have as much $4000 per capita, this goes to show that it is a challenge.

While Nigeria records the highest number of malaria infections and deaths in the world, most of the funds to combat the disease are borne by foreign donors (42.4%) and individuals who pay out of their pockets (37.8%). The government commits the least proportion of money, 19.2% of Nigeria’s spending, to combat Malaria.