Nigeria is conducting the second phase of its vaccination campaign to immunise 43 million children aged 9 months to 15 years against measles and rubella across 16 states.
The current phase, stream one, is being implemented across eight southern states: Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa.
A subsequent stream will extend coverage to additional southern states, moving steadily toward nationwide reach as Nigeria advances its elimination targets.
This phase builds on the initial campaign conducted in October last year across 19 northern states and Oyo State, which reached over 59 million children and generated operational lessons now embedded in the southern rollout. Meanwhile, for Ondo state, the Malaria vaccine will be introduced, displaying Government’s effort on campaign effectiveness.
State‑led flag‑offs signal strong political commitment
Across the eight southern states, high-level flag-off ceremonies led by governors, first ladies or other senior officials underscored political commitment, strengthened public trust, and catalysed community participation.
Vaccination teams in these eight states are working to reach more than 22 million eligible children, including those in riverine, peri-urban, and hard-to-reach settlements.
At the Osun State flag-off, Governor Ademola Adeleke, represented by Deputy Governor Prince Kolawole Adewusi, reaffirmed that measles and rubella remain preventable causes of illness and death when vaccination is missed.
Other states, including Edo, Bayelsa, Lagos, Ekiti, and Ogun, used their flag-offs to mobilise traditional rulers, faith leaders, and community groups around a shared commitment that no child should be missed.
Stakeholders’ commitment
The campaign reflects strong national leadership by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, implemented through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and State Ministries of Health.
With support from partners including the World Health Organization, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Gates Foundation and UNICEF, the effort strengthens routine immunisation, closes immunity gaps, and advances Africa’s and global elimination goals.
In Bayelsa State, the Commissioner for Health, Professor Seiyefa F. Brisibe, highlighted the availability of state and local government counterpart funding as evidence of ownership and sustainability.
He noted that the administration’s intentional investments and political will have driven unprecedented improvements in the health sector, positioning immunisation as a core pillar of system strengthening.
Community ownership remains central in the South, with traditional institutions, women’s associations, youth groups, civil society, and faith leaders mobilising caregivers and countering misinformation.
In Surulere Safejo Community of Ekiti state, Mrs Yemisi Amogbon, a 60-year-old, grandmother of seven (7), whose grandchildren benefited from the campaign, said, “my neighbor lost a child to measles years ago, which was painful. When I heard, the vaccines were coming to our community, I knew I had to bring my grandchildren to receive the vaccine, and I am happy I did.”
WHO’s technical support
WHO is working closely with national and state authorities to strengthen planning, coordination, and monitoring. This includes:
- Supporting risk‑based micro‑planning
- Training 5000 health workers and mobilizers across the eight states
- Deploying over 40 technical staff for supervision and real‑time monitoring
- Strengthening data use to improve coverage and quality
- Supporting vaccine safety monitoring, surveillance, and AEFI reporting
- Enhancing community engagement strategies to ensure no child is missed
Delivery strategies combine fixed and mobile posts with school-based sessions, ensuring children are reached wherever they live, learn, or play.
By aligning government, partners, and communities around shared goals, the campaign promotes consistency, accountability, and quality across all phases of implementation.
Staying on course
As Phase 2 progresses, stream one prepares for the next stream, and priorities remain reaching every eligible child, sustaining commitment, and accelerating elimination.
Nigeria’s large child population means progress in the country’s indices delivers outsized gains for Africa, making the campaign critical to regional and global measles–rubella elimination.
Maintaining momentum will require continued financing, vigilant supervision, timely use of data, and trust-based engagement that keeps caregivers informed, confident, and motivated to vaccinate their children.
The second-phase rollout in the South demonstrates how political leadership, partner coordination, and community action can converge to close immunity gaps at scale.
With sustained focus, Nigeria is positioned to protect millions more children and move decisively toward measles–rubella elimination.
The stakes are high, but the pathway is clear, collective, and achievable.
