By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Federal Capital Territory Administration ,FCTA, has flagged off the 2025 Routine Polio Immunization Campaign to vaccinate at least 1,116,677 children against the poliovirus.
The 2025 National Immunization Plus Days, NIPDs, which holds from May 4 through 10, 2025 was flagged off in Abuja over the weekend at the Sarki Jiwa, HRH. Alhaji Musa Idris’s palace.
The first NIPDs commence from Sunday 4th- 10th Saturday May 2025 across the six Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
The Mandate Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr.Babagana Adam, said that the NIPDs in Abuja is aimed at ensuring that no eligible child is left out of the oral polio vaccine exercise.
Fasawe said that Vaccine-preventable diseases remain a major cause of childhood illness and deaths in Nigeria and the FCT.
“We cannot afford complacency. From May 4 to 10, we must mobilize all mothers, caregivers, schools, churches, and mosques to ensure every child is reached.
According to the Health Secretariat Mandate Secretary, the Immunization campaign is not just about vaccination but also involves restoring public confidence and building demand through effective communication and community engagement.
She explained that the FCTA has adopted an integrated health approach to expose caregivers and children to multiple interventions that improve their health and allow them to thrive.”
Furthermore, she highlighted the widespread coverage engagement adopted by the FCT which involves deployment of 154 fixed post teams across health facilities and 1,152 house-to-house teams that will comb through communities, including homes, markets, schools, churches, and mosques, to
ensure that no child, regardless of where they live, is left behind.
Fasawe noted that the NIPDs effort aligns with Nigeria’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Permanent Secretary of the FCTA, Dr. Babagana Adam, represented by the Acting Executive Secretary of the FCT Primary Healthcare Board, Dr. Ruqqaya Wamakko,
emphasized the importance of a collective responsibility in sustaining Nigeria’s certification as a polio-free country.
She said,” Today, we are her to flag off the April 2025 National Immunization Plus Days a national assignment for the benefit of our women and children, particularly the most vulnerable.
She said that while Nigeria has been certified polio-free, sustaining that status requires continued effort through periodic immunization campaigns.
She noted that the campaign is a critical national health intervention and reminded stakeholders that the FCT plays a unique role in national progress due to its diverse population.
“When we get it right in the FCT, we get it right across the nation because every ethnic group in Nigeria is represented here. As the federal capital, we must maintain the highest standards in our healthcare delivery.”
With support from the World Health Organization and other global partners, the FCT remains at the forefront of efforts to eradicate polio and ensure no child is left behind, she added.
The WHO Country Representative to Nigeria, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, in his goodwill message, praised the FCT’s efforts for its swift and strategic response to public health threats, describing adding that it as a model for other states.
“I’m very proud of what the FCT has achieved. When the diphtheria outbreak hit Nigeria, the FCT was the only place where it was crushed from the beginning. That shows the strength of leadership here,” he said.
Dr. Mulombo also emphasized that immunization is not just a public health duty but a fundamental human right.
“Vaccination is a human right for our children. This campaign is launching during Africa Vaccination Week, reminding us that immunization is humanly possible and morally necessary,” he noted.
While Nigeria was certified polio-free, the resurgence of vaccine-derived strains poses a renewed threat. “We now have a better tool, the novel oral polio vaccine (nOPV) and we must finish the job before the end of this year,” he said.
Mulombo commended health workers in the FCT for their commitment, acknowledging their willingness to prioritize immunization even during busy schedules.
He lauded the political will of the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, and the traditional institutions for their support.
“If Nigeria gets it right, Africa will be free of polio. And when Africa is free, the world will be free,” he stated.
The Sarkin Jiwa,HRH Dr. Idris Musa, charged traditional leaders and health officials to step up their responsibilities in ensuring no lapses in the exercise.
He said, “Enough is Enough we cannot afford to waste any more time. By tomorrow morning, all local chiefs and officials must be on the ground advising and supporting their communities. This is not the time to sit in offices.”
The Sarkin Jiwa emphasized the importance of routine immunization, in other countries global examples like Saudi Arabia, where pilgrims are not allowed entry without polio vaccination. “That’s how serious the rest of the world is about polio. We must take it just as seriously here too,” he said.
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