Kwara State Achieves Major Vaccination Milestone, Surpassing One Million Children Immunised
The Kwara State Government has announced a significant achievement in its public health efforts, with over one million children receiving vaccinations through routine immunisation programmes in 2025. This accomplishment underscores the state’s consistent progress in bolstering primary healthcare delivery and safeguarding the health of its youngest citizens.
The Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Professor Nusirat Elelu, shared this positive development during the first quarterly meeting of the State Taskforce on Immunisation. The meeting, held in Ilorin, the state capital, served as a platform to review the agency’s performance and strategise for future initiatives.
Professor Elelu highlighted that this landmark figure was attained through a dual approach: sustained routine immunisation efforts and the implementation of targeted interventions. Among these was a crucial Polio Outbreak Response, which successfully covered children across all 16 Local Government Areas (LGAs) within the state.
“Kwara State has made significant strides in routine immunization, as over one million children were vaccinated in 2025,” Professor Elelu stated. “In the Polio outbreak response, over a million children were also covered across the 16 LGAs.”
She further elaborated that the vaccination exercise achieved a broad reach, even in the face of existing security challenges in certain regions of the state. Moro LGA, for instance, recorded the highest coverage rate at 91 percent, with all wards in the state being successfully visited despite the prevailing insecurity.
However, Professor Elelu also voiced concerns regarding the impact of ongoing security issues on immunisation activities, particularly in vulnerable communities. “Due to insecurity in some communities, including Kiama LGA, supplemental immunization activities had to be carried out to quickly improve the immunity of children,” she explained. The persistence of insecurity unfortunately compromised the reach in some areas, leading to the recording of two confirmed cases of circulating variant poliovirus type 2 in December 2025.
A further challenge highlighted was the inconsistent release of counterpart funding by some local government councils. Professor Elelu described this as a significant setback for primary healthcare interventions, urging local government leadership to increase their support for these vital activities.
Reaffirming the government’s unwavering commitment to public health, Professor Elelu assured that measures are actively being implemented to ensure the safety of both residents and the dedicated healthcare workers. “The state government will continue to ensure that adequate security architecture is deployed to protect communities and healthcare workers for full immunization coverage,” she added.
The quarterly meeting was characterized as a vital statutory platform for stakeholder engagement and policy coordination. Professor Elelu also announced the upcoming commencement of the National Immunization Plus Days, which will specifically target children aged zero to nine months.
Stakeholder Commitments and Future Directions
The Deputy Governor, Kayode Alabi, lauded the agency for its commendable performance. However, he also expressed his disappointment regarding the perceived lack of commitment from some local government chairmen towards primary healthcare initiatives within their respective domains.
“We commend the agency for its efforts in improving immunization and primary healthcare delivery,” the Deputy Governor remarked. “However, it is disappointing that some local government chairmen are not showing enough interest in primary healthcare activities in their domains.” He issued a stern warning, stating that the state government would not tolerate negligence in such a critical sector and reiterated that primary healthcare would continue to receive the highest priority.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina El-Imam, underscored the indispensable role of vaccines in disease prevention and the enhancement of child survival rates. “Progress is being made in protecting children through immunization, but more needs to be done to ensure no child is left behind,” she stated. Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Taoheed Abdullahi, the Commissioner further emphasised the ongoing commitment to strengthening immunisation efforts and intensifying engagement strategies to combat vaccine hesitancy.
Echoing this sentiment, the Chairman of the House Committee on Health and Nutrition, Seun Ogunniyi, pledged continued legislative support for the health sector. “Primary healthcare remains the foundation of our health system, and we will continue to support initiatives that strengthen immunization,” he affirmed. Mr. Ogunniyi noted that the agency’s successful performance is demonstrably reflected in the improving health indices observed across the state.
The collective efforts and ongoing commitments from various governmental bodies and stakeholders in Kwara State signal a robust dedication to ensuring a healthier future for all its children through comprehensive immunisation programmes.
