There are over 100 million people at risk of malaria every year in Nigeria and indeed it is estimated that about 50% of the adult population in Nigeria experience at least one episode yearly while the under five children have up to 2 - 4 attacks of malaria annually. The yearly economic loss due to malaria in Nigeria has been put at 132 Billion Naira due to costs of treatment ad transport to source of treatment, loss of man-hours, absenteeism from schools and other indirect costs. Thus malaria imposes a heavy cost not only on a country’s income, but also on its rate of economic growth and invariably on its level of economic development.

At the African Summit on Roll Back Malaria, the Heads of Government and International Agencies signed the Abuja declaration committing themselves to the Abuja target, one of which stipulates that concerted efforts would be made to ensure that by the end of 2005 at least 60% of those at risk of malaria should have access to good quality, affordable and efficacious antimalaria drugs. The spread and intensification of antimalarial drug resistance is one of the greatest challenges facing effective malaria control in the world today. This has been identified as a potent hindrance to the achievement of the set targets aimed at halving the malaria burden by 2010. The efficacy of the most affordable antimalarial drugs has declined remarkably in the last 15 - 20 years, and new drug development is not keeping pace...