By Yahaya Umar
United Nations Children’s Education Fund, UNICEF, and the Kano State Government have renewed commitment to eradicating polio, targeting no fewer than 4.1 million children for vaccination across the state.
According to official data in November 2024, Nigeria reported one circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2, cVDPV2, positive environmental sample. This follows a period where Nigeria, along with Pakistan and Afghanistan, were the last three countries with endemic polio. While Nigeria was declared free of wild poliovirus, cVDPV2 continues to be a concern, particularly in the northern states.
The UNICEF and Kono State commitment was made in Kano, yesterday, during a media dialogue on polio and routine immunisation, held ahead of the 2025 World Immunisation week.
Speaking at the event, the state immunisation officer, Mrs Sa’adatu Ibrahim said the World Immunisation Week was part of efforts to sustain Nigeria’s polio-free status and prevent resurgence of the virus.
Ibrahim disclosed that the state had recorded three new confirmed cases of circulating Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus type 2 in 2025, raising fresh concerns over gaps in immunisation coverage and surveillance.
She said two of the cases were detected through Acute Flaccid Paralysis, AFP, surveillance, while the third was identified through Environmental Surveillance.
The cases were reported in Warawa, Bunkure and Nasarawa Local Government Areas.
According to her, the recent cases follow earlier resurgences in 2023 and 2024, when 27 cVDPV2 cases were confirmed in 11 LGAs in 2023 and 31 cases in 17 LGAs in 2024.
Earlier, the chief of UNICEF field office in Kano, Mr Rahma Farah called on the state government to declare a state of emergency on polio and routine immunisation following the resurgence of the disease.
Farah, represented by Mr Michael Banda, UNICEF senior education manager, said the called became imperative as Nigeria has recorded 18 cases of polio in 18 LGAs across nine states.
This, he said, included three in Warawa, Bunkure and Nasarawa LGAs of the state.
“This is unacceptable and must be urgently addressed. Polio knows no boundaries. An outbreak anywhere threatens children everywhere”, he said.
He added that the dialogue organised in collaboration with the Kano State Government and the State Primary Health Care Management Board, sought to mobilise media support ahead of the next polio vaccination campaign.
Farah, revealed that the vaccination scheduled for April 24 to 30, was coinciding with the World Immunisation week.
He stressed the critical role of the media in tackling disinformation, myths and rumours that hinder vaccination.
He noted that more than three billion people had been vaccinated against polio globally since 1988, leading to a sharp decline in cases.
He, however, warned that recent outbreaks showed that the fight was not over.
UNICEF also appealed to local government authorities and urged the Kano State government to demonstrate political will by declaring a state of emergency on polio and ensuring timely release of counterpart funds.
Meanwhile, despite being declared free of wild poliovirus, Nigeria has seen a resurgence of cVDPV2, a variant of polio caused by the oral polio vaccine.
