Halima, a mother of three children in Katsina state, wants the best for her children. She puts them in mosquito nets to keep them safe from malaria. Hassan, her middle child of 3, eats Tom Brown which she learnt how to make from the nutrition clinic. “I want my children protected, and I believe most of the things that the nurses teach us.” But when it came to taking vaccines, she wasn’t so sure. “My mother-in-law says that vaccines are not safe. I didn’t vaccinate my first child and he is okay” Fueled by fear and mistrust, misinformation continues to threaten immunization efforts in communities like hers. Recognizing these challenges, the Federal Ministry of Health, in collaboration with key partners, is leading efforts to strengthen primary healthcare and advance polio eradication in Northwest Nigeria.
Halima’s dilemma reflects Nigeria’s larger battle against the circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2), as well as against misinformation, insecurity, and challenges in reaching essential health services. Despite progress, fake finger-marking, weak accountability structures, and limited healthcare access hinder immunization efforts. These issues are particularly pronounced in Katsina, Kano, and Sokoto states, where there are significant opportunities to strengthen data management and build a more resilient healthcare workforce.
On February 18–19, 2025, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, led a high-level delegation to Katsina, Kano, and Sokoto. The delegation included representatives from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the Gates Foundation, the Aliko Dangote Foundation, and SCIDaR. Their mission centered on promoting accountability, fostering collaboration, and driving policy reform.
In Katsina, Governor Dikko Umar Radda pledged to address vaccine hesitancy, improve security, and strengthen PHC infrastructure. With 115 PHCs reportedly renovated, the state aims to establish a fully functional health center in every ward. The delegation underscored the importance of transparency, accountability, and regular progress monitoring to address persistent challenges.
During the visit to Sokoto, Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving healthcare access and eradicating polio. The delegation prioritized data harmonization, tracking missed children, and boosting health worker performance. They also emphasized the urgent need to recruit more healthcare workers and integrate polio interventions into broader PHC services.
In Kano, the delegation made a commitment to supporting efforts of the state health officials towards strengthening accountability measures, enhancing cold chain tracking, and addressing fake finger-marking and immunization gaps caused by migration. They also identified political structures as crucial tools for reducing interference in health programs.
Nigeria’s effort to eliminate cVPV2 and reinforce its PHC system mirrors challenges faced in other polio-endemic countries, such as Afghanistan and Pakistan. These nations have adopted context-specific strategies to vaccinate children in conflict zones, including engaging local influencers, negotiating access through humanitarian corridors, and deploying female health workers to reach resistant households. Given the security challenges in Katsina, Kano, and Sokoto, Nigeria has implemented a similar approach by expanding the use of community-based vaccinators and leveraging local community structures to sustain immunization efforts despite insecurity and misinformation.
This concerted effort demonstrates the collective commitment of federal, state, and international partners to strengthen Nigeria’s PHC system and eradicate cVPV2.
