The Kano State Government has announced plans to vaccinate over 4.1 million children against polio in a statewide campaign scheduled for April 24 to 30, 2025.
Speaking at the event, the Director General of the Kano State Primary Health Care Management Board, Dr. Nasiru Mahmoud made the disclosure during a media dialogue on polio and routine immunization held in Kano on Tuesday.
Represented by the State Immunization Officer, Hajiya Sa’adatu Ibrahim said the campaign is part of renewed efforts to stamp out polio in the state, stressed that polio is a vaccine-preventable disease and that eradication efforts depend heavily on routine immunisation, supplementary vaccinations, and efficient surveillance systems.
“In 2024, Kano State recorded 31 cases of Circulating Variant Poliovirus type 2 (CVPv2) across 17 Local Government Areas. This year alone, we have already recorded three more cases – two Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) and one Environmental Surveillance (ES) – in Warawa, Bankure, and Nassarawa LGAs,” he said.
According to Hajiya Sa’adatu, the campaign is in alignment with national efforts to eradicate the virus completely, saying the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) is driving a strategic shift aimed at total eradication of polio by the end of 2025.
She called on traditional and religious leaders, the media, and civil society organizations to intensify awareness campaigns and mobilize parents and caregivers to ensure every eligible child is reached and warned that sustained political commitment and stakeholder collaboration are crucial, especially as funding support is uncertain beyond the 2025 deadline.
Despite Nigeria being declared wild polio-free in 2020, variant strains continue to pose threats, particularly in underserved communities with low routine immunization coverage.
