The Pest Control Association of Nigeria (PECAN) has restated its commitment to eliminating malaria in Nigeria as it joined the global community to mark World Mosquito Day 2025, themed “Accelerating the Fight Against Mosquitoes for a Malaria-Free Nation.”
In a statement signed by PECAN’s National Public Relations Officer, PCO (Dr) Dennis Olabisi, and made available to journalists in Lagos on Friday, the association emphasized the urgent need to scale up interventions against mosquitoes, described as the deadliest vector of malaria in Nigeria.
PECAN President, PCO Olakunle Williams, said the association would intensify collaboration with government, development partners, and communities to defeat malaria, which continues to claim thousands of lives yearly despite being preventable and treatable.
“As professional pest controllers, we stand at the frontline of protecting public health. This World Mosquito Day reminds us of the urgent need to accelerate interventions, deepen awareness, and support the Federal Government’s malaria elimination roadmap,” Williams said.
He noted that PECAN has consistently advanced mosquito-control and malaria-prevention projects across the country through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives in partnership with stakeholders such as the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON), Rotary International, and the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
According to him, interventions have already reached high-risk communities including Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Abuja, Itire/Ikate and Kiri-Kiri in Lagos, with Makoko fishing community identified as the target of its 2025 CSR outreach.
PECAN also urged Nigerians to take proactive steps in protecting themselves by eliminating stagnant water, improving sanitation, using insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), adopting indoor residual spraying (IRS), and seeking early medical treatment when malaria symptoms occur.
Williams, however, stressed that stronger political will and increased government investment were critical to achieving a malaria-free Nigeria.
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“Nigeria cannot afford to remain the epicentre of malaria. We call on the Federal, State, and Local Governments to prioritise mosquito control by funding integrated vector management programmes, supporting community-led initiatives, and empowering licensed pest control professionals,” he said.
World Mosquito Day is observed annually on August 20 in honour of Sir Ronald Ross, who in 1897 discovered that female Anopheles mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans, a breakthrough that laid the foundation for global malaria prevention efforts.
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