The Federal Government has urged traditional rulers to intensify efforts to combat vaccine hesitancy, misinformation and non-compliance to help reach unvaccinated children and end the transmission of polio virus in Nigeria.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, made the call at the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee quarterly review meeting on Primary Healthcare.
The meeting focused on strengthening routine immunization and primary healthcare delivery, particularly in communities with persistent vaccination gaps.
The meeting was organized by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA.
Pate said traditional institutions remained critical to improving health outcomes because of the trust, influence and moral authority they commanded in communities across the country.
“The Federal Government deeply values the partnership with you because you have demonstrated repeatedly that lasting health outcomes are achieved not only through sound government policies but also through trusted community engagement and leadership.
“You are custodians of our culture. You have the moral authority and legitimacy in the eyes of our people. You encourage people to demand health services, mobilise communities and address hesitancy and misinformation,” he said.
The minister said that although Nigeria had sustained its wild polio-free status and improved some primary healthcare indicators, significant gaps remained in routine immunization, antenatal care and skilled birth attendance.
He said while the Federal Government continued to invest in primary healthcare services, state and local governments must complement those efforts through adequate funding and stronger health systems.
“The Federal Government is intervening because it makes sense for the health of our population, but the ultimate responsibility for primary healthcare lies with states and local governments.
“We call on states to step up and support your efforts at the community level so that our population will get healthier,” he said.
Pate urged traditional leaders to focus on communities with persistent vaccine refusal and low immunization coverage, warning that circulating variant polio virus type 3 required urgent collective action.
He said Nigeria had secured a $500 million commitment from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, for 2026 to 2030, including $345 million dedicated to vaccine financing.
According to him, the support reflected international confidence in Nigeria’s health sector reforms, but external funding could not replace sustained domestic investment in healthcare delivery.
“Our governments are ultimately responsible for the health and well-being of our people. We cannot have sovereignty by counting on somebody else’s money,” he said.
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Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of the NPHCDA, Dr Muyi Aina, said recent survey findings showed only modest improvements in routine immunization coverage, with disparities persisting across states.
Aina said national Pentavalent-3 vaccine coverage increased marginally from 53.4 per cent to 54.8 per cent, while Inactivated Polio Vaccine coverage rose by 10.5 percentage points.
He, however, said nearly half of Nigerian children remained unprotected against polio through routine immunization, posing a major challenge to efforts to end transmission.
“We still have almost half of our children that are not protected against polio, and this is why we continue to have circulating variant viruses.
“In some states, particularly Sokoto and Kebbi, fewer than two out of every 10 children have received routine polio vaccines,” Aina said.
He said Nigeria recorded 30 cases of circulating vaccine-derived polio virus type 2 and seven cases of type 3, with Zamfara, Kebbi and Sokoto accounting for the detections.
According to him, an analysis of 121 recent polio cases showed that more than eight in every 10 affected children had not received routine oral polio vaccines.
Aina attributed the remaining barriers to immunization largely to vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, population mobility and insecurity rather than logistical constraints in vaccine distribution and administration.
“The barriers are increasingly social and behavioural. We need your guidance and leadership to address vaccine hesitancy and ensure every eligible child is protected,” he said.
Representing the Sultan of Sokoto, the Emir of Argungu and Chairman of the NTLC, Alhaji Samaila Mera, urged traditional rulers to prioritize immunization and access to basic healthcare.
“Let us ensure that no child is denied immunization, no pregnant woman is left without care, no disease outbreak goes unreported and no community is left behind,” he said.
The World Health Organization Country Representative, Dr Parvel Ursu, described traditional rulers as a vital bridge between health services and communities, saying they played a key role in building trust.
“Health workers can carry vaccines, governments can finance vaccines and partners can support vaccination, but you deliver trust.
“You can reassure a concerned mother, persuade a hesitant father and mobilise an entire community behind a common purpose,” he said.
UNICEF Country Representative, Wafaa Saeed-Abdelatef, appealed to traditional leaders to identify every zero-dose child and ensure that no eligible child was left behind.
“When you champion vaccination, families have confidence. When you lead, children live healthy and strong,” she said.
Representatives of the Gates Foundation and Rotary International also urged traditional institutions to strengthen community engagement, counter misinformation and support efforts to close immunity gaps nationwide.
NAN
