FG Aims to Vaccinate 83 Million Children Against Polio

The Federal government has begun a new round of polio vaccination campaigns today, Saturday, April 26, starting with northern states in coordinated batches. Southern states will join the campaign in phases from May 3.

The effort includes a synchronized polio vaccination campaign with neighboring Lake Chad Basin countries—Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and the Central African Republic—aimed at reaching approximately 83 million children across the region.

The initiative was officially launched last week in N’Djamena, Chad, where Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, joined his regional counterparts.

Dr. Muyi Aina, Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja to commemorate the 2025 Africa Vaccination Week, themed “Immunization for All is Humanly Possible.”

Dr. Aina highlighted Nigeria’s progress in routine immunization, noting an increase in Penta3 coverage from 50% in 2018 to 54% according to the 2023 National Demographic and Health Survey. He also outlined fresh strategies to interrupt the transmission of circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2) and control other vaccine-preventable diseases.

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“Let me use this opportunity to reassure Nigerians that we have remained wild poliovirus (WPV) free. However, since 2021, we have been dealing with cVPV2—a mutated form of the virus. As of April 10, 2025, 17 cVPV2 cases have been reported across 15 Local Government Areas in 8 states, with 12 found in Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) cases and 5 in environmental samples,” Dr. Aina said. “This confirms ongoing transmission which we must urgently halt.”

He provided updates on the rollout of new vaccines in the country:

HPV Vaccine: Over 13 million adolescent girls aged 9–14 across Nigeria have been vaccinated against Human Papillomavirus (HPV), now incorporated into the national immunization schedule for girls aged 9.

“The introduction of the HPV vaccine in October 2023 and May 2024 is a milestone in our fight to eliminate cervical cancer, as the vaccine is 99% effective,” Dr. Aina said, encouraging parents to ensure their daughters are protected.

Malaria Vaccine: In 2024, the R21 malaria vaccine was introduced in high-burden states, Kebbi and Bayelsa, where 101,158 children have been vaccinated. The vaccine is now part of the routine immunization and outreach programs in these states.

Mpox Vaccine: In seven states, 4,306 individuals—including those near known Mpox cases and frontline health workers—have received the Mpox vaccine to curb potential outbreaks.

On other immunization achievements, Dr. Aina reported that during the 2024 measles and yellow fever campaigns, 25.9 million children (98%) were vaccinated against measles in 26 states, while 22.5 million were vaccinated against yellow fever (94.6%) in Lagos, Yobe, and Borno. He also noted that cholera outbreaks were successfully contained in eight states.