By Isaac Mission
The Abia State Government is set to distribute about 3.03 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets to residents across the state’s 17 local government areas as part of renewed efforts to combat malaria.
The nets, valued at more than N1 billion, are expected to be distributed this September under a partnership between the state Ministry of Health and the National Malaria Elimination Programme.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed the plan while briefing journalists at the Government House in Umuahia on decisions reached during the latest State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti.
Kanu said the exercise was particularly important because Abia had not undertaken a statewide mass distribution of insecticide-treated nets since 2010.
He explained that the intervention was designed to strengthen the state’s malaria prevention efforts and reduce illness and deaths associated with the disease.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, described the campaign as a major step in the state’s malaria-control programme. He, however, stressed that distributing the nets would only achieve its intended impact if residents used them properly and consistently.
According to Uche, malaria prevalence in Abia dropped from 16 per cent in 2024 to 11 per cent in 2025. He said the figure was below the national prevalence rate of approximately 15.2 per cent, but noted that the government was targeting a further reduction that would take the state into single-digit prevalence.
He said the government was combining several strategies to achieve the target, including identifying malaria hotspots and managing mosquito breeding sources.
Uche also appealed to residents to support the campaign by keeping their surroundings clean, clearing stagnant water and taking steps to eliminate places where mosquitoes can breed.
Meanwhile, Kanu announced that the state’s Community Supported Health Insurance Programme was expanding, with Abiriba community scheduled to formally join the scheme on September 16, 2026.
He said 1,000 residents of Abiriba would be enrolled through funding provided by the Abiriba Improvement Union. At N18,000 per person, the initial commitment amounts to N18 million.
The commissioner encouraged other community development unions in Abia to adopt similar initiatives to help expand access to healthcare for residents.
Kanu further disclosed that recruitment was still ongoing for additional healthcare workers, including medical consultants, medical officers and dental officers, to strengthen staffing across the state’s medical facilities.
He also said no major disease outbreak of public health significance had been recorded in Abia during the period under review.
On the state’s overall performance, the Information Commissioner said Abia had recorded improvements in its fiscal position as well as in sectors including healthcare, education, infrastructure and governance.
He cited the 2026 BudgIT State of States Report, covering the 2017–2025 period, which he said placed Abia among the country’s better-performing states.
According to Kanu, the state ranked second in aggregate revenue growth, third in internally generated revenue growth, first in total expenditure growth, first in capital expenditure growth and first in personnel expenditure growth, while keeping overhead costs relatively under control.
He attributed the figures to what he described as prudent and strategic management of public resources.
Kanu added that the findings were broadly consistent with a recent Phillips Consulting State Performance Index, which also identified Abia as one of Nigeria’s fastest-improving states.
He stressed, however, that the administration’s priority was not competition with other states but ensuring that government policies translate into meaningful improvements in the lives of residents.
