The initiator of the Geneith Health Competition (GHC), Prince Cletus Ilobanafor, has announced plans to appoint the President of the Council of Northern Youth Advocates of Nigeria (CNYAN), Hon. Abdul-Razaq Muhammed Sani, as one of the ambassadors in the ongoing national campaign against malaria.
Prince Ilobanafor, who also serves as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of CEOAFRICA, made this disclosure during his address at the Council’s headquarters in Abuja on October 4, 2025, where he was honored with the Sir Ahmadu Bello Platinum Award for his outstanding contributions to youth empowerment and national unity.
Speaking at the event, Prince Ilobanafor described Hon. Abdul-Razaq as a dedicated youth advocate and visionary leader whose commitment to education and nation-building aligns perfectly with the goals of the Geneith Health Competition. He noted that the official declaration of the CNYAN President as a Malaria Ambassador will take place during the Council’s annual conference in December 2025.
“I am so honored to receive this award from the youth of Northern Nigeria — the youth who are the future of tomorrow. One of the things dear to my heart, apart from what we do at CEOAFRICA, is our initiative on how to eliminate malaria. We would be happy to make the CNYAN President an ambassador of this war against malaria,” Ilobanafor stated during his address.
The Geneith Health Competition (GHC) is an initiative of CEOAFRICA in partnership with Geneith Pharmaceuticals Limited — a nationwide project aimed at combating malaria through education, advocacy, and youth engagement. Backed by a ₦1 billion donation from Geneith Pharmaceuticals, the initiative empowers secondary and tertiary institution students across Nigeria with health knowledge, scholarships, and leadership opportunities.
Hon. Abdul-Razaq, a vocal advocate for youth development and education in Northern Nigeria, has consistently called for greater government investment in education and efforts to reduce the rising number of out-of-school children. His upcoming ambassadorial role under the GHC is seen as a strategic step in mobilizing Nigerian youths to take leadership in community health and malaria prevention.
The initiative will also strengthen the existing partnership between the CNYAN and CEOAFRICA in promoting youth-led development, health awareness, and national integration. Ilobanafor emphasized that the Geneith Health Competition is more than a contest — it is a social movement designed to inspire young Nigerians to become agents of change.
“Our country is blessed with many wonderful resources, including our youth. All we are asking is to give them the opportunity to serve, and Nigeria will be a better country,” he concluded.
As preparations continue for the December conference where the official declaration will take place, stakeholders have lauded the move, describing it as a bold and strategic partnership between health innovation and youth advocacy — a collaboration that could redefine Nigeria’s fight against malaria from the grassroots upward.
