•40 Local Government Areas Across Six States
With 2.2 million “zero‑dose” children, Nigeria has unveiled a fresh immunisation drive targeting 40 local government areas across six states, having received $5.6 million under the current phase of the Korea–United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) partnership.
The announcement was made in Badagry, Lagos State, where UNICEF, in collaboration with the Republic of Korea and the Federal Government, unveiled a targeted routine immunisation programme designed to reach children who have never received any vaccine.
The initiative comes amid growing concern about Nigeria’s immunisation crisis, with UNICEF warning that millions of unvaccinated children represent “real lives at risk, not mere statistics.”
UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Wafaa Saeed, said the scale of the challenge requires urgent national attention. She noted that Nigeria accounts for about 2.2 million zero‑dose children, the highest figure in Africa and among the highest globally.
According to her, these children are often found in fragile urban settlements, border communities, conflict‑affected areas, and remote locations where access to essential services is limited.
“These are not just statistics, these are real children,” Saeed stated. She emphasised that the persistence of zero‑dose children reflects inequalities in access rather than any failure of vaccines themselves. “This burden is not a failure of science. Vaccines work. What we are seeing are challenges of equity, access, and service reach,” she said.
Saeed described the intervention as a significant step forward, representing a collective commitment to child survival and national development.
“Today’s event is more than a launch. It is a shared political and moral commitment to the right of every Nigerian child to lifesaving vaccines, regardless of where they are born or live,” she added.
She explained that the partnership aims to strengthen routine immunisation systems, improve service delivery, rebuild trust within communities, and ensure vaccines reach children who have historically been excluded. “Reaching zero‑dose children is not only a health intervention; it is a national development priority.
Healthy children underpin human capital, productivity, and social cohesion,” she said. Saeed further stressed that long‑term success would depend on sustainability. “The true measure of success will be systems that continue to identify, reach, and protect every child well beyond this investment,” she noted.
Reaffirming UNICEF’s commitment, Saeed said: “We raise this flag to reaffirm a collective promise — that every child in Nigeria belongs in the national health system, and no child will be left behind.”
Also speaking at the event, the Consul General of the Republic of Korea, Lee Sang Ho, said the high number of unvaccinated children in Nigeria poses a growing threat to global health security. He called for stronger international collaboration, particularly in high‑burden countries.
“The call for global collaboration is expedient and necessary. This investment is aimed at reducing zero‑dose and under‑immunised children while strengthening the healthcare system,” he said. He confirmed that Nigeria is benefiting from $5.6 million under the current phase of the Korea–UNICEF partnership, which will focus on 40 local government areas across six states.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, represented by a director in the ministry, said the initiative comes at a critical time as rapid urbanisation continues to strain healthcare access.
“One of the most pressing public health challenges we face is the persistence of zero‑dose and under‑immunised children, particularly in densely populated and underserved communities,” he said.
Abayomi explained that the programme would deploy data‑driven strategies, strengthen frontline health workers, and expand equitable access to immunisation services. “This partnership reflects our commitment to inclusive growth and an inclusive health system where no child is left behind,” he added.
Chairman of Badagry Local Government Area, Babatunde Hunpe, highlighted the importance of the intervention for communities facing geographical and access challenges. “Our communities stretch across difficult terrains, from coastal settlements to remote border areas.
This programme is vital to ensure every child receives life‑saving vaccines,” he said. Hunpe called on mothers, community leaders, and health workers to support the initiative. “No child in Badagry should be left unprotected, not because of distance, ignorance, or barriers. We must work together to reach every child,” he added.
The programme will be implemented through Nigeria’s existing health systems in Lagos, Ogun, Bauchi, Niger, Adamawa, and the Federal Capital Territory. It will focus on community mobilisation, tracking missed children, and expanding access to routine immunisation services in underserved areas.
The campaign is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to deliver vaccines equitably and sustainably, ensuring that children in remote and vulnerable communities are not excluded from essential healthcare.
