By Muhammad Amaan
The Borno State Zero Dose Learning Hub (ZDLH) had conducted the validation meeting of the 2025 Immunization Financing Accountability and Sustainability Framework Scorecard for 2025.
The exercise which took place at the State Polio-EoC was well attended by members of the CoP cutting across the Civil Society (CSOs), Professional bodies (NMA/MWAN), media (Radio/TV/electronic media), Development partners (WHO, UNICEF, ScidaR, Gates foundation/ADF amongst others).
The meeting was also attended by key staff of the Borno State Primary Health Care Development Board (BoSPHCDB) and representative of the Commissioner of the Ministry for Women affairs and Social Development.
In a statement, the State AHBN Focal Person of the ZDLH, Dr Adamu A Umar, said the validation meeting was chaired by the Acting Executive Secretary of the BoSPHCDB Dr Mala Abdulwahab (DC & FHS).
The exercise was equally blessed with the physical presence and active participation of the Chairmen of the health services & Appropriations Commitees of the Borno State House of Assembly Rt Hon Maina Mustapha Garbu and Rt Hon Mustapha Alibe respectively.
The two legislators assured the gathering that the Lagos declaration that followed the Lagos ZDLH legislative retreat is still intact and they pledged to do the needful to the 2026 health budget with particular emphasis on Immunization funding.
They also advised the BoSPHCDB to make purposeful efforts to liaise e with the two committees of the house ahead of the 2026 budget presentation by Governor Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, who is billed to present the budget proposal to the assembly anytime soon.
At the end of the very thorough exercise the Ag ES appreciated the Zero Dose Learning Hub consortium (AHBN/AFENET) through funding from Gavi for their support to Borno State especially in the area of advocacy for increase in budgetary allocation, release, tracking while ensuring adoption of sustainable accountability through the development of the Scorecard.
He equally appreciated the members of the Community of Practice (CoP) for their resilience and ownership of the advocacy drive over the past two years and prayed for continuity of the ZDLH project and other zero dose reduction strategies.
The AHBN ZDLH State Focal Person and the media led by the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ)), Borno State Comrade Abdulkarim Haruna thereafter conducted the Key Informant Interviews (KII) and media interaction individually with the trio of the two Committee Chairmen (Health and Appropriations) and the Ag.ES of the BoSPHCDB.
