How I’ll eradicate malaria in Nigeria – Nwoko

Nigerian Philanthropist and legal luminary, Prince Ned Munir Nwoko, who has vowed to use his resources to eliminate malaria, which is one of the major causes of death in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, said it is time to put an end to the age-long disease and its cause.

Nigeria has spent over N200 billion in the last ten years fighting malaria. In this interview, Prince Nwoko disclosed that his recent visit to Antarctica concluded the discussion with experienced scientists who will execute the project amongst other things. Excerpts.

What inspired you to bring about this idea of fumigation of the entire country to flush out malaria?

It is born out of humanity, the realization that nothing has been done in this areas that is an ongoing crisis in the health sector.

If we have over five hundred thousand people dying every year according to the United Nations statistics, it is a huge number and nothing is being done about it or nothing seems to be on the pipeline that I am aware of. I am trying to research to find out.

For two years I have being researching trying to find out but my conclusion was that this is not a White man’s problem, it is our problem just like sickle-cell and sickle-cell is also part of the offshoot of malaria – long time malaria crisis is what lead to sickle-cell anemia.

If it is not a White man’s problem, this explains why they have not bothered to pay attention suffice cult at finding a cure by way of vaccine.

Vaccine is the ultimate solution and I felt that we have to look for a solution from within Africa, from among ourselves and I know I can start it and I believe others will join as I go along.

How soon do you intend to commence this project?

We have started; my going to Antartica was part of the process. Are you not in this world? We have started, I went to Antartica and met with some scientists with the company involved in the air fumigation and also advising on the best form of insecticides to use because they’ve done it before in Florida and in Malaysia.

They also told me that they have done in some of the Caribbean Islands where there were mosquitoes before but no more. So we have a solution, it is just a question of planning and implementing it.

Do you have collaboration with the Federal Government?

Of course, there is. Now what we need is the support, the other form of support will come in terms of planning. We need the federal government to dedicate weeks for these things to be implemented.

We need states government and local governments to be actively involved in the clean ups of the environment. There is a lot of collaboration at every stage in this project.

Even when you look at the area of research itself, where we making the money available to five universities, yes, federal government may not have any role to play, state government may not have any role to play,

since I am personally funding it exclusively, completely but if those we chose are from federal government’s institutions, they have a role to play through guidance, giving advice and making sure that they go to work and come out with a result.

You may have committed a lot of resources in this project can you share with us the level of commitment?

Whatever it takes to get this going is what I am doing. This is about the need to save lives no financial cost is comparable to lives.

Therefore, I am not looking at the cost because I can afford to do what I am doing now. When the time comes, if I need support, from the federal government or state, I will let them know.

How much are you looking at – the total cost to implement this project?

I wouldn’t know for now but nothing good comes easy. So we need everybody’s collaboration including the media, we need everybody to go out there and pass the message so that people will be aware,

to sensitize people sufficiently enough to know what is happening so that in the next weeks when they see aero planes flying to fumigate, they won’t say ah! What is happening?

Especially when it would be done at night between about 10pm and 4 am when people are going to be sleeping. And of course, the clean ups, everybody must be involved.

We need everybody’s collaboration not only federal government as asking. On the side of the federal government how enthusiasm and support are they showing to this kind of project knowing the humongous amount the government spend on subsidizing for malaria treatment?

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The federal government is made up of people, they are not spirits, they are part of us. So they are part of those who suffer from malaria – the ministers, the president and their families are not immune from malaria.

Therefore, any effort at eradicating malaria is welcome by any person in Africa not just in Nigeria.

Nobody is going to play politics with this. I am not looking at it politically and I can never look at it politically, it is a good project that must work for the benefit of everyone.

Is there no collaboration also with the State?

We are discussing with them, we will work with them, and there are some meetings scheduled with them. So in the cause of this meetings, we will work out the details, there are many details we will work out with them.

Sir, spending this kind of money as a private entity to solve a national problem, what benefit are you looking at?

You seemed to be worried and talking about money, alone, that is why we don’t make progress in this country. You people should look for results.

Don’t worry, the money will come. What you should be talking about is the efficacy of what we are doing, will it work, how it will work, the short and long-term impact it will make.

Knowing the importance of this project, can a community invite you for a discussion on this?

Of course, we are available for discussions, but we are going to have volunteers across the country, so our coordinators at the state levels, local government level should be able to deal with enquiries from the communities. Very soon, we are going to announce our quest to have volunteers across the country.

Don’t you have malaria?

If you don’t kill malaria it will kill you. This is what we are working on. I have malaria myself just like you every month because of my blood group A+.

That should be your concern, look at the impact, look at the importance of what we are trying to do, not the money aspect. It is not your money, so why are you drinking Panadol for my headache.

I am totally focus about eradication of malaria, it’s a common problem that we have come to accept as part of us, that is the sad thing about it.

Virtually, every Nigerian now feels that there is nothing can be done just by some tablets – self medication, or go for prescription we have succumbed, we have succumbed to the will of mosquitoes , we feel helpless, but it shouldn’t be.

There are solutions, this what I am trying to make everybody to understand and that these solutions are what I am pursuing.

Don’t you think this project an important one that the federal government should be interested in?

They are interested in, who told you they are not? The leadership of the military has come to me; I did not go to them.

They came to me to pledge their support for this project, same with the Inspector General of Police, are they not part of the federal government?

I am talking about the federal ministry of health.

We are working with them, we are working with the ministry of health, we will work with everybody – health, education, environment and we will work with everybody.

Is it possible to know the level of involvement by these ministries?

You will know when details are worked out. We are trying to work out details now; I have told you that before.

Will you start the fumigation project with Nigeria before extending to other African countries?

Of course, charity begins at home, they say.

Apart from Nigeria, how many countries are you intending to carry out this project?

All the countries where there are mosquitoes, we are interested in them.

Do you have a target or timeline for eradicating malaria in Africa?

The research will take about three to four years, which is long term, the cleanup is between one to three years within Nigeria, and Nigeria being the pilot case, should take more time. By the time, we are done with Nigeria and being a bigger country, others will take less time.