The governor of Gombe, Inuwa Yahaya, has observed that Nigeria is progressing in his fight against polyomyelitis, however, he expresses his concern that the country still faces challenges of a variant derived from the vaccine, particularly in the northwest region.
Inform the correspondents of the House of Representatives after Thursday’s meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Yahaya, said that recent interventions were already producing results.
He recalled that the National Poly Eradication Committee, opened in December 2023, has held multiple sessions to review progress and adjustment strategies.
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He revealed that, although Nigeria was declared free of wild poliovirus in 2020, the fight has changed to contain a circulating variant, mainly concentrated in the states of Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.
“From the 33rd epidemiological week in 2024, Nigeria registered 78 cases. That figure has now fallen to 42, showing a clear downward trend,” said Yahaya.
According to him, Kano and Katsina recorded notable reductions of 65 percent and 84 percent respectively, while Gombe has maintained a clean slate this year. Sokoto, however, remains the epicenter, representing 13 of the 23 cases reported throughout the country so far in 2025.
The governor described the improvements in surveillance and vaccination. Settlements with Geo-Coordinate data increased from 71 percent to April 78 percent in June, while vaccination coverage increased from 81 to 84 percent in the same period.
“The first round of intermediate activities in 11 high -risk states reached 77 percent of specific settlements, with approximately 2.7 million vaccinated children, which represents a coverage of 83 percent,” he revealed.
Beyond vaccination, integrated health services were offered, including nutritional supplements for pregnant women, malaria prevention kits and other maternal health interventions, an approach that Yahaya said it was designed to boost the acceptance of the community.
Looking towards the future, he announced that the second round of immunization will run from September 11 to 14 in 11 high -risk states, while a broader integrated national campaign will continue in October.
That campaign, aimed at children from 0 to 14 years, will deliver measles, rubella, polio and malaria vaccines, along with treatments for neglected tropical diseases, in a two -phase deployment to maximize coverage.
To guarantee effective delivery, the Committee urged state governors to personally preside over the meetings of the working group at least two weeks before each campaign round, particularly in Kano, Kebbi and Sokoto.
The commissioners for health and heads of primary medical care agencies must lead subsequent reviews and cleaning exercises, while local government presidents will have the basic mobilization task.
Yahaya also appealed to security agencies to safeguard health workers in conflict -prone areas, emphasizing that vaccination equipment often face risks in communities that are difficult to achieve or volatile.
He also stressed the need for timely funds, revealing that the Committee has asked the Federation General Accountant to accelerate disbursements for primary medical care.
“Eradicando polyomyelitis remains a national priority,” said Yahaya. “With a sustained commitment, adequate resources and a strong safety support, we can free Nigeria from this disease once and for all.”
In cross -border risks, he warned that Northern Porosa borders remain a weak link.
“Nigeria was declared wild free of polio in 2020, but what we are fighting now is a variant that easily spreads through the borders,” he explained.
“Communities along the borders of Niger and Chad are still vulnerable. That is why we are intensifying vaccination coverage to ensure that no variant, whether of their own or imported harvest, gains the ground again.“
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