Jigawa, UNICEF set to launch mass vaccination drive to protect children

The Jigawa State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is set to launch a mass immunisation campaign targeting over 1.9 million children in virus-prone border communities.

Shehu Ibrahim, the state’s Programme Manager and Coordinator of the State Emergency Routine Immunisation Coordination Centre (SERICC), announced this during a UNICEF-organised media dialogue on Polio and Routine Immunisation on Thursday.

Mr Ibrahim stated that the immunization campaign is scheduled to run from 26th to 29th April, followed by a two-day mop-up exercise across the targeted areas. He emphasised that stakeholders, including parents, caregivers, traditional leaders, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), have been actively engaged to ensure the campaign’s success and that every eligible child receives vaccination.

Speaking at the event, Rahma Rihood Muhammed-Farah, Chief of UNICEF Field Office Kano (represented by Serekeberehan Seyoum Deres, Health Manager), highlighted that the campaign coincides with World Immunisation Week.

Mr Muhammed-Farah revealed that in 2025, 18 cases of polio have been reported across 18 local government areas in nine states of Nigeria, with two of these cases occurring in the Hadejia and Sule Tankarkar LGAs of Jigawa State.

He stressed that the campaign aims to halt the spread of the disease, emphasising that “Polio knows no boundaries and spreads fast – an outbreak in any country puts children in every country at risk.” He further noted polio’s devastating impact as a leading cause of paralysis and potential death among children. Globally, he added, the immunisation of 3 billion people since 1988 has brought the disease close to eradication.

Despite this progress, Mr Muhammed-Farah cautioned that “the fight is not over, including in Nigeria, because low vaccination rates are creating opportunities for polio outbreaks, as we are currently witnessing.”

He underscored the remarkable impact of vaccines, stating that they have saved an estimated 154 million lives in the last 50 years – six lives every minute for five decades. He emphasised the collective responsibility in disease prevention, where individual immunisation contributes to community protection.

“We can stop outbreaks and eradicate polio. Ending polio and improving children’s survival starts with making sure all children have access to vaccines,” Mr Muhammed-Farah asserted.

UNICEF issued a strong call to action, urging the Jigawa State government, and indeed all states in Nigeria, to take urgent measures to halt polio outbreaks and ensure all children receive polio and other life-saving vaccines.

Call to Action

In a direct appeal, UNICEF specifically urged the Jigawa State Government to declare a state of emergency on polio and routine immunisation, including the release of dedicated counterpart funding. The organisation also called on local government chairmen and traditional/religious leaders to actively champion the campaign within their communities, ensuring maximum participation and success in eradicating polio from Jigawa State.