Bauchi State Government flags off distribution of 4.8m Insecticide Treated Nets
By Muslim Lawal
The Bauchi State Government has commenced the distribution of more than 4.8 million insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) across the 20 Local Government Areas of the state as part of efforts to reduce malaria transmission.
The distribution campaign, which was flagged off by Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed at the Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu Hall of the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Conference Centre, Bauchi, is scheduled to run from Sunday, September 27 to Saturday, October 3, 2026.
Represented by his Deputy, Alh. Muhammad Auwal Jatau, Governor Bala Mohammed urged residents to take ownership of the nets, install them properly and make sleeping under insecticide-treated nets a regular nightly habit, particularly among children and pregnant women.
The Governor said the intervention formed part of his administration’s broader commitment to protecting lives, strengthening the healthcare system and improving the human capital of the state.
He appreciated the National Malaria Elimination Programme, the United States Government, Against Malaria Foundation, Global Health Supply Chain and other development partners for their support towards the campaign.
Speaking at the event, the State Commissioner for Health, Muhammad Sani Dambam, said the state government had consistently provided counterpart funding to attract and sustain health interventions.
He disclosed that Governor Bala Mohammed had approved more than N230 million for the ITN campaign, adding that the 4.8 million nets were valued at about N23.8 billion. He warned against the diversion or misuse of the commodities.
The Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Malaria (BACATMA), Dr Adamu Umar Sambo, said malaria prevalence in the state had declined from more than 34 per cent in previous years to 17.8 per cent, based on the latest national indicators survey.
Dr Adamu Sambo said the 4.8 million nets would provide at least one net for every two residents of the state, with about 1,903 distribution points established across the 20 Local Government Areas.
Also speaking, a representative of the Global Health Supply Chain, Procurement and Supply Management, Jury Bako, commended the state government for providing more than N200 million in support of the campaign.
He said the exercise would engage about 17,900 local residents and target approximately 9.9 million people, assuring that all nets supplied for the campaign would be distributed to intended beneficiaries.
Representing the National Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme, Dr Nnenna Ogulafor, Mrs Mary Acema said more than 12.7 million insecticide-treated nets had been distributed in Bauchi State since 2010.
She described the 2026 campaign as another major step towards malaria prevention, noting that the exercise would deploy digital household technology to improve data quality, accountability and real-time decision-making.
Representatives of the Society for Family Health and the Against Malaria Foundation also commended the state government and development partners for their collaboration, urging households to ensure the nets were used every night.
The partners stressed that the success of the campaign would not be measured only by the number of nets distributed, but also by their consistent use to protect families from malaria.
