In a fresh attempt to tackle the rebound of polio in the state, the Kano State government has set a target to vaccinate 3.9 million children under the age of five during the June 2025 Outbreak Response (OBR) campaign.
This was made known on Thursday by Dr. Nasir Mahmoud, Director-General of the Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Board. Dr. Mahmoud said it during a media dialogue in Kano.
Mahmoud explained that the campaign aligned with the national strategy to eradicate polio and maintain Nigeria’s polio-free certification.
He said that the vaccination drive became necessary due to the recent resurgence of the type 2 poliovirus in parts of the state.
According to him, the resurgence was not as a result of complacency on the part of the authorities. Rather, it is due to factors such as community resistance, poor data reporting, and insecurity.
He expressed concern that the virus’s re-emergence was hindering previous immunisation efforts.
He said, “Ungogo Local Government Area recorded the highest level of non-compliance during the May 2025 campaign. To improve vaccination coverage, local government areas are now ranked monthly based on performance.”
However, he said that would not deter the State government from pursuing its commitment to eradicate polio by December 2025. He also pledged to significantly reduce the maternal mortality rate within the same timeframe, describing both goals as top priorities.
He stressed the importance of collaboration with traditional rulers and the 44 local government chairmen to overcome challenges. It was that effort that made the discovery easy for the authorities there.
According to Mr. Rahma Mohammed, UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Kano, highlighted that surveillance conducted in 2025 detected the virus in Warawa, Bunkure, Kano Municipal, and Nasarawa Local Government Areas.
“This is unacceptable and must be halted. Polio remains a highly infectious disease that spreads rapidly and knows no borders,” he warned.
Mohammed emphasised that even a single case of polio anywhere posed a threat to children everywhere and called for coordinated efforts to contain the outbreak. He urged all levels of government, traditional rulers, and the media to intensify awareness campaigns and ensure full vaccination coverage, especially in high-risk areas.
The UNICEF official reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s polio eradication efforts and called for the timely release of counterpart funding and stronger supervision of immunisation campaigns.
He also urged the government to declare a public health emergency and increase media engagement to counter misinformation about the vaccine.