Nigeria has mapped malaria's genes 60,000 times — and sequencing a parasite now costs $20 instead of $150

At the Future of Health Conference 2026 in Abuja, experts described how Nigeria is learning to fight malaria with its own data. The country ran its first national malaria genomic survey in 2021 and a second in 2025, collecting more than 60,000 parasite samples. The genetics matter: drug-resistant parasites in northern Nigeria look different from those in the south, so treatment policy can be tuned region by region instead of one-size-fits-all. Laboratory advances have cut the cost of sequencing a parasite's DNA from about $150 to about $20, and researchers have built a dashboard — with a WhatsApp interface — so policymakers can actually use the results. 'Conventional approaches alone cannot provide the detailed genetic information needed,' said genomics researcher Dr Ify Aniebo.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: tech innovation