- Senator Tinubu flags off national vaccine campaign
- Campaign targets 100m Nigerian children, says Pate
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, yesterday officially flagged off the National Measles-Rubella Vaccine Introduction Integrated Campaign in Abuja.
She said the exercise was a collective resolve to end vaccine-preventable childhood diseases and safeguard the nation’s future.
Mrs. Tinubu described the event as “a declaration of our collective resolve as a nation to say ‘No More’ to the diseases that steal the future of our sons and daughters”.
The First Lady said measles and rubella remain among the leading causes of blindness, disability, and child mortality.
She noted that rubella infections during pregnancy could lead to blindness, deafness, or congenital heart defects in unborn children.
Mrs. Tinubu said: “A vaccine in a vial does not save a child. A vaccine in a clinic does not protect a community. Protection only becomes real when that vaccine is injected into the arm of a child.”
She urged mothers to take their children for vaccination and fathers to support them.
The First Lady also appealed to traditional and religious leaders to use their clout to dispel misinformation and encourage nationwide participation.
According to her, their previous role in the success of the HPV vaccine rollout still resonates.
Mrs. Tinubu reaffirmed her personal commitment to promoting vaccine uptake and pledged to mobilise governors’ wives, spouses of local government chairmen, and women’s groups to ensure that no child was left unprotected.
The First Lady hailed the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and development partners — WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, and the Gates Foundation — for their partnership and dedication to Nigeria’s public health goals.
“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,” she said.
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Declaring the campaign open, the First Lady said the event represented “a pathway to hope and a promise of progress”.
She prayed for divine blessings on Nigerian children, mothers, and the nation.
The campaign set in motion a nationwide drive expected to reach approximately 106 million children aged nine months to under 15 years in two phases.
The campaign also integrates vaccination efforts against polio and the rollout of the HPV vaccine among adolescent girls, combining resources to optimize health impact.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, described the event as a “historic moment for Nigeria’s health system” and the largest integrated health campaign on the African continent or anywhere else in the world.
The campaign, the minister announced, targets over 100 million Nigerian children, covering measles, rubella, polio, malaria, HPV, routine immunisation, and neglected tropical diseases.
He said the initiative reflected the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in prioritising health as a key pillar of national development.
“The President is healing this country, unifying it through health, and inspiring national confidence,” Pate said.
The minister hailed the Renewed Hope Agenda for repositioning healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
He said primary health care utilisation had risen from 10 million visits per quarter in 2023 to 47 million in the second quarter of 2025, while the government planned to make 4,800 additional PHCs fully functional by the end of 2025.
He paid tribute to frontline health workers who he said “risk their lives to deliver vaccines and healthcare services to the last mile”.
Pate added: “As Her Excellency flags off this campaign today, let us join her with conviction. The children we vaccinate and the trust we build will define the health legacy of an entire generation.”
Also, Education Minister Olatunji Alausa warned that sanctions would be imposed on school administrators who shut ting vaccinators from accessing their schools.
Represented by the ministry’s Deputy Director Peter Ojonuba, the minister described the campaign as a critical investment in Nigeria’s future and educational progress.
“It is a day to ignite hope for healthier children, stronger communities, and a bright future for our beloved Nigeria,” he said.
On behalf of the Gates Foundation, the Deputy Director of Immunisation and Disease Control in Nigeria, Yusuf Yusufari, said the foundation remained steadfast in supporting Nigeria’s immunisation and primary healthcare drive.
“Today, like we did two years ago, we stand united behind one goal: that no child and no woman in Nigeria—or anywhere—should be left unprotected from preventable diseases,” Yusufari said.
The deputy director cited Nigeria’s progress in routine immunisation, which has risen from 33 per cent in 2016 to over 60 per cent currently, alongside new vaccine introductions, such as pneumococcal, rotavirus, HPV, and now measles-rubella.
He warned that over two million Nigerian children have not received a single vaccine, the second-highest figure globally.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Senior Programme Manager for Nigeria, Tarcile Mballa, said: “We have witnessed immunisation coverage rise from 27 per cent in 2001 to 67 per cent in 2024, a testament to collective commitment.”
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi (Ojaja II), stressed the importance of protecting children’s health as a national priority.
Oba Ogunwusi lauded the efforts of health officials and public officers for their dedication to sensitising Nigerians about rubella and other deadly diseases.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, noted that advocacy and education, rather than enforcement, were crucial for Nigeria’s rubella vaccine campaign to succeed.
“We defeated polio not by force but by convincing people that the vaccine is safe. We held seminars with religious leaders to educate communities and show that the vaccine is not anti-childbirth or harmful in any way,” the Sultan said.
President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Daniel Okoh, expressed support and optimism for the initiative to protect children and strengthen public health nationwide.
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