By Muhammad Amaan with agency report
Nigeria’s Federal Government has launched Africa’s largest integrated vaccination campaign, targeting over 100 million children for vaccination against measles, rubella, polio, and the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), among other preventable diseases.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, who spoke at the national flag-off ceremony at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, said the initiative marked “a historic moment” in Nigeria’s health system and the largest integrated campaign ever conducted on the continent.
Pate said the campaign, led by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), was an expanded drive to deliver multiple vaccines and health services together, ensuring that “no one is left behind.”
“This is not only about vaccination,” Pate said. “It is about reimagining how we deliver health services to our people, getting as close to them as we can and ensuring that no one is left behind.”
The minister attributed the milestone to the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, whose Renewed Hope Agenda, he said, had repositioned health as a central pillar of Nigeria’s national development.
“At the heart of this milestone is the vision and commitment of our President,” Pate noted. “His leadership has provided an enabling environment for the reforms now transforming our health sector.”
He added that the President’s prioritisation of health was evident in the recent transformation of the primary health care system, with facility utilisation rising from 10 million visits per quarter in 2023 to 47 million in the second quarter of 2025, a nearly fourfold increase.
Originally designed as a measles and rubella campaign, Pate said the initiative was expanded, under the leadership of the NPHCDA’s Executive Director, Dr Muyi Aina, to include polio, malaria, HPV, routine immunisation, and the treatment of neglected tropical diseases.
“These are not merely neglected tropical diseases, they are diseases of neglected people,” the Minister said. “This campaign is an effort to change that.”
He noted that the integrated campaign represents one of the largest public health undertakings in Nigeria’s history and would help protect millions of children and families from preventable diseases.
Pate also paid glowing tribute to the First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, for her active involvement and personal investment in improving women’s and children’s health across the country.
“Your Excellency, you have given your time, your treasure, and your talent,” he said. “You have personally championed tuberculosis awareness, HPV vaccination, cervical cancer prevention, and the triple elimination of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis in mothers and newborns.”
Highlighting recent achievements, the Minister disclosed that the government, in collaboration with states and development partners, was on track to add 4,800 fully functional primary health centres by the end of 2025.
He said over 15,000 women had so far benefited from the Free Emergency Obstetric Care Initiative, which includes life-saving caesarean sections under the President’s directive.
He also mentioned the Mothers and Babies Implementation (MaMi) Programme, which supports hundreds of thousands of pregnant women across the country.
Prof. Pate urged parents to ensure their children receive all necessary vaccines, describing immunisation as “safe, effective, and life-saving.”
“Every parent desire what is best for their child,” he said. “No parent, when aware of what will benefit their child, will refuse it. In a world of misinformation, let us hold fast to the truth and protect our children.”
He also saluted Nigeria’s frontline health workers for their sacrifices, often working “under rain, in insecure areas, and on treacherous roads,” and urged them to carry out the campaign with renewed passion and professionalism.
The Minister thanked state governors, commissioners for health, and local government chairmen for aligning with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, as well as traditional and religious leaders, including the Sultan of Sokoto and the Ooni of Ife, for their continued support in promoting immunisation and public health.
He acknowledged the vital role of development partners, including UNICEF, WHO, Gavi, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, whose technical and financial support have strengthened Nigeria’s health interventions.
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who flagged off the National Measles-Rubella Vaccine Introduction Integrated Campaign, described it as “a bold step towards protecting the lives and future of our children.”
She highlighted the devastating consequences of measles, including blindness, disability and death, and warned that rubella, though often silent, can cause severe birth defects if contracted during pregnancy.
Remi Tinubu urged parents, community leaders, and religious and traditional rulers to work together to ensure no child is left unvaccinated.
“We are here today to flag off a solution, a pathway to hope, and a promise of progress. With this vaccine, our children will be protected against two deadly diseases and enjoy a lifetime of safety and protection.
“These vaccines are safe, effective and free. They are one of the greatest gifts of modern medicine. They save lives, prevent disease, and give our children the chance to grow, learn and thrive,” she stated.
She pledged to sustain advocacy through the wives of state governors, women’s groups, and community leaders.
The first lady commended the Ministry of Health under Prof. Pate, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and development partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Gavi and the Gates Foundation, for their support.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, at the event, rallied state governors and First Ladies to drive the campaign at the grassroots.
Recalling Nigeria’s polio eradication success, he said: “When we defeated polio, it wasn’t by coercion. It was by convincing people to do the right thing.”
Earlier, NPHCDA Executive Director, Dr Muyi Aina, called the initiative “the mother of all campaigns,” noting over 10,000 measles cases and 76 related deaths recorded this year.
He urged parents to present their children at health centres for free vaccination from October 6 and called on the media to amplify health messages.
