Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has reaffirmed the country’s commitment to ending tuberculosis (TB) by 2030 through concrete national actions aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Mrs Tinubu gave the assurance on Wednesday in her goodwill message as Special Guest of Honour at the 39th Stop TB Partnership Board Meeting held in Manila, Philippines. The statement was issued by her media aide, Busola Kukoyi.
Addressing over 180 participants from 47 countries, the First Lady, who is also the Global and National Stop TB Champion, said Nigeria is strengthening efforts to reduce dependence on donor funding by building resilient systems that will ensure sustainability in the fight against TB.
“The sustainability of TB response cannot depend solely on external assistance but must be driven from within, through leadership, community engagement, and strategic national coordination,” she stated.
Mrs Tinubu noted that tuberculosis remains the world’s biggest infectious killer and a threat to everyone, being airborne. She added that despite temporary shifts in support from some financing partners, Nigeria’s commitment to the TB response remains strong.
“Through steadfast leadership, community engagement, and strategic national coordination, we have ensured that the number of people diagnosed and treated for TB in 2025 did not increase. This stands as a testament to the power of country ownership and the unwavering commitment of Nigerians who continue to drive this response forward,” she said.
The First Lady highlighted the human cost of TB, which claims about 1.3 million lives globally each year, noting that Nigeria remains among the eight countries accounting for two-thirds of global TB cases.
“In 2023, an estimated 479,000 Nigerians developed TB, with over 150,000 deaths recorded. These are not just numbers; they represent mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters whose lives compel us to act with urgency and compassion,” she emphasised.
Mrs Tinubu commended the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, its agencies, the Stop TB Partnership, and other stakeholders for their dedication and transparency in ensuring that resources mobilised for expanding TB testing, diagnosis, and treatment are judiciously utilised.
In his remarks, the Chair of the Stop TB Partnership Board and Secretary of Health of the Philippines, Dr Teodoro Herbosa, described TB as not merely a health issue but a development challenge for many nations, calling for renewed global determination to end the disease.
Similarly, the Executive Director of the Stop TB Partnership, Dr Lucica Ditiu, underscored the importance of integrating data systems with national governments as a crucial step towards achieving the 2030 target. She revealed that in the past two months, five countries had deployed new grant facilities, resulting in 8,000 people screened, 5,000 diagnosed, and 3,000 enrolled in preventive treatment.
Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, also attended the meeting.
The 38th edition of the Stop TB Partnership Board Meeting was hosted in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2024.
