From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has pledged an additional N1 billion from the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) towards the fight against Tuberculosis (TB) in Nigeria.
Senator Tinubu made the pledge at a community outreach in Abuja on Monday, as part of the event to mark the 2025 World TB Day, stressing that she is deeply committed to the global target of ending TB by 2030.
She said the government is passionate about the health and well-being of Nigerians as essential pillars of development, hence the government has prioritised expanding TB testing and treatment centres across Nigeria, ensuring that TB treatment remains free and accessible to all.
“Strengthening our community-based healthcare system to reach the most vulnerable populations, and enhancing funding and partnerships to scale up TB control programmes are very important to us.
“However, it is important to say that government cannot do this alone. Ending TB by 2030 is a collective responsibility. We need traditional and religious leaders, legislators, the youth, healthcare workers, private sector organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and international partners to join forces in this fight,” she said.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, in his remarks, noted that TB has remained a major public health challenge in Nigeria, and that Nigeria ranks first in Africa and sixth globally among high-burden TB countries.
“In 2023, an estimated 499,000 Nigerians developed TB, primarily affecting the productive age group (25–44 years), leading to economic hardships. The situation is worsened by stigma, poverty, malnutrition, overcrowded living conditions, and limited access to quality healthcare.
“But despite challenges, Nigeria has made significant progress in TB eradication through WHO-recommended strategies. In 2024, the country recorded its highest-ever TB notification of over 400,000 cases, with a 79 per cent detection rate. TB detection in children also improved, rising from 8,293 in 2018 to about 43,000 in 2024, marking a commendable achievement in the fight against TB.
“Despite progress, a significant number of TB cases remain undetected, sustaining transmission within communities. Alarmingly, an untreated TB patient can infect 12–15 people annually.”
He said that this year’s event emphasises the collective responsibility in eradicating TB, and is a call on all stakeholders—notably government, partners, media, private sector, civil society, and the public—to unite in the fight against TB.
WHO Country Representative, Walter Mulumbo, in his remarks, said the theme of this year’s World TB Day, “Yes! We can end TB: Commit, Invest and Deliver,” and the Nigerian slogan “We fit do am,” conveys a strong call for hope, urgency, and accountability across all segments of society, including the community.
He was, however, concerned about the growing threat of losing the huge gains the world has made against TB over the past 20 years due to funding cuts which have started to disrupt access to services for prevention, screening, and treatment for people with TB.
“For instance, in a space of five years, Nigeria has scaled up many new innovations and interventions that have resulted in the huge numbers of TB cases notified, from 138,583 in 2020 during the pandemic year to 418,198 in 2024 which is more than 300 per cent increase.
“Any disruptions to TB services therefore will have fatal consequences for the thousands of people affected by the disease in Nigeria. Strong collaboration with the civil society and affected communities remain critical to mitigating TB service disruptions and ensuring equitable access to care.”
He said the WHO will continue to play a central role as the leading global health agency in supporting countries to accelerate the TB response, guided by the latest WHO TB guidelines.