The Federal Government has stepped up efforts to tackle Nigeria’s growing zero-dose child challenge by partnering with traditional rulers across Northern Nigeria to ensure millions of children receive life-saving vaccines and essential primary healthcare services.
The renewed push was announced by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, during the Quarterly Review Meeting of the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee on Primary Health Care (NTLCC), where government officials, development partners, health experts and traditional rulers reviewed progress in routine immunisation and polio eradication across the region.
Pate said Nigeria’s biggest challenge was no longer vaccine supply but reaching children who remain outside the healthcare system due to insecurity, vaccine hesitancy, migration and the remoteness of some communities. He urged traditional rulers to strengthen grassroots mobilisation, identify underserved settlements and encourage parents to present their children for routine immunisation.
While commending the committee for its role in improving maternal and child health since its establishment in 2009, the minister warned that the resurgence of circulating variant poliovirus in some high-risk states demands urgent action despite Nigeria maintaining its wild polio-free status.
He also disclosed that Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, had approved nearly $500 million to support Nigeria’s immunisation programme between 2026 and 2030. Of the amount, about $345 million will be used for vaccine procurement, while additional funding will strengthen cold-chain infrastructure and primary healthcare systems. However, Pate stressed that Nigeria must gradually reduce dependence on foreign support by increasing domestic investment in healthcare.
Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Muyi Aina, said routine immunisation indicators have shown encouraging improvements over the past year. According to him, coverage for the second dose of the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV2) increased by 10.5 percentage points, while coverage for the third dose of the pentavalent vaccine rose from about 53 percent to 54.5 percent.
Despite the progress, the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that approximately 2.1 million Nigerian children remain completely unvaccinated. WHO Country Representative, Dr. Pavel Ursu, said only 57 percent of children aged between 12 and 23 months are fully immunised nationwide, with vaccination coverage significantly lower in parts of the North-West.
He noted that many of this year’s variant poliovirus infections occurred among children who had never received routine vaccines, urging traditional leaders to intensify efforts to identify missed children, combat misinformation and improve vaccine acceptance within their communities.
UNICEF Country Representative, Wafaa Saeed Abdelateef, praised traditional and religious leaders for their contribution to Nigeria’s successful wild polio-free certification in 2020. She encouraged them to sustain their community engagement by focusing on remote settlements, border communities, nomadic populations and insecurity-affected areas, particularly in Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states.
Representing the Sultan of Sokoto, Chairman of the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee and Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Samaila Muhammadu Mera, reaffirmed the commitment of traditional institutions to strengthening immunisation campaigns and primary healthcare delivery.
He described polio eradication as a non-negotiable priority and pledged continued mobilisation against vaccine refusal while supporting maternal and child healthcare, nutrition, malaria control and disease surveillance.
Representatives of the Gates Foundation and Rotary International also commended the role of traditional rulers in boosting vaccine acceptance, urging sustained community mobilisation to ensure every eligible Nigerian child receives protection against vaccine-preventable diseases.
