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President Buhari names Dangote as Chairman of National End Malaria Council
Chairman of Aliko Dangote Foundation and Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote has been named the pioneer Chair of the National End Malaria Council (NMEC), a body established by President Muhammadu Buhari to eliminate the scourge of malaria in the country. The National End Malaria Council (NMEC) was inaugurated by the President at a well-attended event in the Presidential Banquet Hall, Aso-Rock Villa, Abuja yesterday.
Dangote, who accepted the responsibility of chairing the Council, said the new function was in tandem with his current roles as the Nigerian Ambassador for Malaria, his role on the Global End Malaria Council, and with the work that his Foundation, Aliko Dangote Foundation is doing to mobilise the private sector to support malaria control in Nigeria in particular, and Africa at large.
While inaugurating the 16-member Council, President Buhari projected that the successful implementation of the Council’s agenda and savings from the estimated economic burden of the disease would save Nigeria about N687 billion in 2022 and N2 trillion by 2030.
The President told the Council that beyond improving the quality of life, health and well-being of Nigerians, the concerted strategy to tackle malaria had both public health as well as socio-economic benefits for Nigeria.
“Our inauguration today will therefore ensure that malaria elimination remains a priority on our agenda, with strong political commitment from leaders at all levels. Additionally, the End Malaria Council will provide a platform to advocate for more funding to protect and sustain progress made so far by our country, and put us on a pathway to ending malaria for good,” the President said.
Expressing concern that the age-long disease had remained a major public health challenge in Nigeria, the President cited the World Health Organisation (WHO) report of 2021, showing that Nigeria alone accounts for 27 per cent of all cases of malaria and 32 per cent of deaths globally.
On his choice of Dangote to chair the Council, Buhari explained that it was in recognition of the track record and passion of Africa’s richest man in supporting initiatives on various health issues such as polio and primary health care system strengthening.
He expressed confidence that Dangote would bring his outstanding achievements to help the country achieve its goal of malaria elimination, adding that a group of eminent personalities, who have also made their mark across all walks of life, have been selected to work in the Council. He added that the membership of the Council reflects Government’s commitment to significantly reducing the malaria burden in Nigeria, to a level where it is no longer a public health issue.
President Buhari also thanked the Chairman of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, the Executive Secretary of ALMA, RBM Partnership in Nigeria for their continuous support to the Federal Ministry of Health and the malaria programme, in particular. He also acknowledged the contributions of the Global Fund, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the President’s Malaria Initiative, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, WHO, UNICEF, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, other implementing partners, and the private sector.
In his acceptance speech, Dangote thanked the President and all members of the Council for entrusting him with the enormous responsibility, pledging to work hard to achieve the mandate.
“I must confess that this resonates with my current role as the Nigerian Ambassador for Malaria, my role on the Global End Malaria Council and with the work that my Foundation is doing to mobilise the private sector to support malaria control in Nigeria and Africa at large,” he said.
“It is with humility that I today accept the responsibility to be the Chair of the National Malaria Elimination Council. I am also grateful to the Minister, Federal Ministry of Health for nominating me to serve in this capacity. I would also like to express my gratitude to all the members of the Council for entrusting me with an enormous responsibility which I pledge to fulfil.
“In 2016, Aliko Dangote Foundation supported the development of a Private Sector Engagement Strategy for Malaria Elimination in Nigeria. The document highlighted private sector support in the fight against malaria as well as a strategy for private sector engagement and steps for implementation. In fulfilling our longstanding commitment/investment to end malaria, my Foundation will continue to support all efforts at mobilising all sectors to end malaria in Nigeria and Africa at large”, Dangote added.
Speaking on behalf of the Council members, Dangote said, “Together we will work hard to ensure that malaria elimination remains high on Nigeria’s agenda with strong political commitment from leaders at all levels. We will advocate at the National and State levels to ensure sufficient funding for malaria elimination. The Council under my watch will drive progress toward malaria elimination by focusing on two key areas: Ensure that malaria elimination remains high on Nigeria agenda with strong political commitment from leaders at all levels; and advocate at all levels to ensure sufficient funding to protect the progress made so far, sustain the progress, and be on an irreversible pathway to ending malaria for good.”
In separate remarks, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, and the Minister of State for Health, Joseph Ekumankama Nkama, said since 2010, Nigeria has been recording a continuous decline in malaria from 42 per cent in 2010, 27 per cent in 2015 to 23 per cent in 2018.
Quoting figures from the 2010 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey and the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, they attributed the decline to the thorough implementation of the National Malaria Strategic Plan (NMSP). Both ministers, however, admitted that funding gap has impacted the implementation of the malaria programmes in Nigeria, adding that the country needs N1.89 trillion to reduce malaria prevalence and mortality by 2025.
The Council members are: Shehu Ibrahim, Permanent Secretary, Office of the Vice President on Political and Economic Affairs, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Sen. Yahaya Oloriegbe, Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Hon. Abubakar Dahiru, Chairman, House Committee on AIDS, TB and Malaria, Dr. Ehanire, Hon. Ekumankama, Mahmuda Mamman, Permanent Secretary, Federal Minister of Health.
Others include, Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Board of Directors, UBA, Folorunsho Alakija, CEO, Rose of Sharon Group, Herbert Wigwe, CEO, Access Bank, Femi Otedola, CEO Forte Oil, Hajiya Lami Lau, President, National Council of Women Societies, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Emeritus Archbishop of Abuja Catholic Archdiocese, Alhaja Rafiyat Sanni, National Amira, Federation of Muslim Women Nigeria (FOWAN) and Dr. Perpetua Uhomoibhi, NEMC Secretariat/National Coordinator, National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP). Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is preventable and curable. 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 continues to carry a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2020 the Region was home to 95% of all malaria cases and 96% of deaths. Children under 5 years of age accounted for about 80% of all malaria deaths in the Region.
Four African countries accounted for just over half of all malaria deaths worldwide: Nigeria (31.9%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (13.2%), United Republic of Tanzania (4.1%) and Mozambique (3.8%
News
Shamaki Congratulates Yari on Appointment as Tinubu’s Campaign DG
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Shamakin Marafan Sokoto has congratulated Senator Abdul’aziz Yari Abubakar on his appointment as Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election.
Shamaki described Yari’s appointment as well deserved, saying his wealth of political experience, leadership qualities and proven track record contributed significantly to his emergence for the important position.
He said Yari’s experience would play a key role in mobilising support and coordinating the APC’s campaign efforts towards ensuring the success of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the party in the 2027 presidential election.
According to him, the appointment reflects the confidence the APC leadership has in Yari’s capacity to deliver, particularly given his years of experience in politics and governance.
Shamaki expressed optimism that Yari would bring his vast political network and organisational skills
News
Call Me Chairman, Not Tony!’: Elumelu’s Blunt Correction of Trainee Splits Internet as Old Video Sparks Double Standard Fury
By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
A seemingly brief exchange between United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, and a female graduate trainee has erupted into a nationwide conversation about cultural values, corporate etiquette, and the politics of address, after a video of the interaction went viral on social media.
The incident occurred on Thursday, August 20, 2026, during an interactive session at the graduation ceremony for UBA’s Graduate Management Accelerated Programme (GMAP) in Lagos. In the now-viral clip, the trainee began her question by greeting the billionaire businessman with a casual, “Good morning, Tony.”
Mr. Elumelu, who was serving as a mentor at the event, promptly and firmly corrected her. According to multiple reports, he told her: “No, you won’t call me Tony. You call me Mr. Elumelu, or TOE, or Chairman.” He further justified his stance, explaining that he does not subscribe to what he termed the casual, Western-style familiarity in professional settings. “I don’t subscribe to that kind of Oyinbo life, okay!” he added.
The exchange has since polarized the Nigerian public, sparking a fierce debate on social media.
One faction of netizens has rallied behind Mr. Elumelu, arguing that the trainee’s address was a clear sign of disrespect, given his status as the chairman of a major financial institution and his seniority in age. Commentators argued that in a formal setting, the use of a title is a basic sign of respect. One social media user remarked, “Common sense should make you understand that at that moment, you are not talking to your friend, but what he is, a chairman or boss, or at least an adult that is obviously older than you.”
Conversely, a second group has come to the trainee’s defense. They argue that modern corporate culture, even within Nigerian banks, often encourages a first-name basis to foster a more egalitarian and open work environment. A former UBA staff member, Innocent Istifanus Moses, confirmed that GMAP graduates are typically taught to address colleagues, including senior executives, by their first names. In his view, the trainee’s mistake was not irredeemable, and he advised her to issue a brief, sincere apology. “Mistake–briefly acknowledge–correct it– move on confidently,” wrote one observer.
Accusations of Double Standard Emerge
The debate took a sharper turn when an old video resurfaced online, showing Mr. Elumelu in a 2022 interview with Chisom Obi-Okoye, an MBA student at Stanford Graduate School of Business in the United States. In that footage, the student interviewer addressed him as “Hi Tony” multiple times without any objection or correction from the businessman.
This discovery has led to widespread accusations of a double standard. Critics argue that Mr. Elumelu is willing to accept the casual, “Oyinbo” culture he decried when it suits him in an international setting but enforces a rigid traditional hierarchy at home. One Facebook user, Awuzie Frankline, questioned the inconsistency, stating, “Respect should be consistent not dependent on someone’s status, location or social class.”
Defense: ‘When in Rome, Behave Like The Romans’
In defense of the UBA Chairman, supporters have argued that there is no contradiction, as the two situations occurred in vastly different cultural contexts. They contend that Mr. Elumelu was simply adapting to the norms of his environment—behaving like the Romans while in Rome, as it were. In a formal corporate setting in Nigeria, they argue, it is appropriate to demand the traditional respect that is due to one’s elders and superiors. As one commentator put it, the issue is about “the need to adjust to culture and nuance as they come.”
Beyond the immediate controversy, the incident has opened a wider conversation about generational differences, the clash between traditional African values and Western corporate norms, and the importance of navigating social cues in professional environments.
Jide Akintunde, a social commentator, expressed surprise at Mr. Elumelu’s objection, noting that his first name has been central to his public and industry branding for years. He suggested that the public correction, while perhaps justified, could have been handled privately to avoid humiliating the young trainee.
As of Friday, the young woman at the center of the storm has not made a public statement. The video, however, continues to trend, serving as a potent reminder of the intricate and often unspoken rules that govern professional and social interactions in Nigeria.
News
President Tinubu Suspends Three Perm Secs as ICPC Uncovers Another Fake Agency in SGF Office
By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of George Nwabueze over the alleged operation of a fake government agency within the premises of the office of the secretary to the government of the federation (OSGF).
The president also ordered the immediate suspension of three permanent secretaries following fresh findings by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in its investigation into alleged fake government agencies and weaknesses in public service processes.
Shamaki Congratulates Yari on Appointment as Tinubu’s Campaign DG
Call Me Chairman, Not Tony!’: Elumelu’s Blunt Correction of Trainee Splits Internet as Old Video Sparks Double Standard Fury
President Tinubu Suspends Three Perm Secs as ICPC Uncovers Another Fake Agency in SGF Office
3 Brigade wins army Inter-brigade combat proficiency competition in Kano
Bank of Ghana Appoints Prof. Bashir to Chair Islamic Banking Council
How Kano Digitized Land Turns N50m to N750m Monthly
Kano Governor Yusuf Shortlisted for Africa’s SANKOFA Award of Excellence in Infrastructural Development
From the struggle for Gombe State to life in the Senate: Senator Umar Usman Dukku reflects on politics, democracy, and his relationship with the late General Sani Abacha.
Borders, Visas and the Beautiful Game: How U.S. Immigration Policies Shaped Global Perceptions During the 2026 FIFA World Cup
President Tinubu Declines Meeting with S’African Envoy, Directs Delegation to Foreign Affairs Minister
Shamaki Congratulates Yari on Appointment as Tinubu’s Campaign DG
Call Me Chairman, Not Tony!’: Elumelu’s Blunt Correction of Trainee Splits Internet as Old Video Sparks Double Standard Fury
President Tinubu Suspends Three Perm Secs as ICPC Uncovers Another Fake Agency in SGF Office
3 Brigade wins army Inter-brigade combat proficiency competition in Kano
Bank of Ghana Appoints Prof. Bashir to Chair Islamic Banking Council
How Kano Digitized Land Turns N50m to N750m Monthly
Kano Governor Yusuf Shortlisted for Africa’s SANKOFA Award of Excellence in Infrastructural Development
From the struggle for Gombe State to life in the Senate: Senator Umar Usman Dukku reflects on politics, democracy, and his relationship with the late General Sani Abacha.
Borders, Visas and the Beautiful Game: How U.S. Immigration Policies Shaped Global Perceptions During the 2026 FIFA World Cup
President Tinubu Declines Meeting with S’African Envoy, Directs Delegation to Foreign Affairs Minister
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