Abuja – Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Health Care Services, Amos Magaji, on Monday expressed concern that a significant number of children across Nigeria have never received a single vaccine.
He described the situation as a major factor behind the country’s high infant and maternal mortality rates.
Magaji spoke during the Immunisation Financing Champions Summit in Abuja, which brought together health committee chairpersons from state Houses of Assembly.
The summit was convened to ensure that national efforts to improve immunisation reach the states, where primary healthcare oversight is more frequent.
“There are many states in Nigeria right now where some children have never received even a single vaccine. And when they don’t receive these vaccines, it contributes to both maternal and infant mortality.”
“That is why we decided to bring together all chairpersons of health committees in the state Houses of Assembly to discuss how we can strengthen the system,” Mogaji said.
He noted that while the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund was established to support primary health centres, its effectiveness depends on states and local governments complementing federal allocations and maintaining consistent oversight.
“Without active participation from states and local governments, even with federal oversight, progress will be difficult,” he added. Magaji further stressed that several states have committed to employing additional health workers, with some pledging to hire more than 1,000 personnel annually over the next four years.
Supporting these efforts, Chief Executive of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Muyi Aina, emphasised the need for increased financing and timely release of vaccine funds.
“The legislature has a major role in increasing resources and improving the timeliness of releases. Both the Senate and the House are working to raise the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund from 1% to 2%. They are also considering ways to restructure vaccine financing so that releases are not delayed,” he said.
Mrs Chika Offor, Chief Executive Officer of the Vaccine Network for Disease Control, commended the moves to increase allocations for basic healthcare and highlighted ongoing discussions on constitutional amendments to strengthen immunisation and primary healthcare systems.
Despite national vaccination programmes and international support, Nigeria continues to face a high number of “zero-dose” children – those who have never received routine immunisation – underscoring the urgent need for strengthened primary healthcare across the country.
