By Kazeem Waris
The Sokoto State Government has launched a statewide polio vaccination campaign targeting every eligible child across the 23 local government areas and 244 wards of the state, calling on parents, traditional rulers and community leaders to ensure that no child is left unprotected against the crippling disease.
The campaign, organised by the Sokoto State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SSPHCDA), was flagged off on Friday, November 6, 2026, at the Palace of the District Head of Durbawa in Kware Local Government Area.
The exercise, under the Sub-National Immunisation Plus Polio Campaign, targets children aged zero to five years, irrespective of their geographical location or social background.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, the Executive Chairman of Kware Local Government, Hon. Ibrahim Attahiru Rugga, commended the state government and development partners for their sustained investment in healthcare delivery and efforts to improve immunisation coverage.
He, however, urged traditional rulers, religious leaders, parents and other community stakeholders to take ownership of the campaign, stressing that the responsibility of protecting children against polio should not be left to government agencies and health workers alone.
Rugga warned against misconceptions, misinformation and negative perceptions capable of frustrating vaccination efforts, urging parents and guardians to cooperate with immunisation teams and make their children available for the exercise.
Similarly, the District Head of Durbawa appreciated the state government and its development partners for sustaining interventions aimed at strengthening primary healthcare, calling on traditional institutions and residents to support the campaign.
At a media dialogue organised alongside the flag-off, the Chief of Sokoto UNICEF Field Office, Mr. Michael Juma, and Nigeria’s Polio Coordinator, Mr. Asnakew Tsega, emphasised the need to reach every eligible child across the state.
They disclosed that the exercise would cover all 23 local government areas and 244 political wards, insisting that no child within the zero-to-five-year target group should be missed.
The UNICEF and polio coordination officials urged parents, caregivers and community leaders to make children available whenever vaccination teams visit their communities.
However, concerns emerged over funding constraints threatening the effectiveness of polio eradication activities.
A representative of the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) warned that declining funding was affecting the capacity of implementing partners to provide adequate supervision, monitoring and technical support across all designated locations.
He explained that available resources were no longer sufficient to guarantee comprehensive supervision in every location, forcing stakeholders to prioritise certain areas to ensure effective monitoring and accountability.
Despite the funding challenges, representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the Sokoto State Government’s efforts to eliminate polio and strengthen routine immunisation services.
The Special Assistant to the Governor on Health, who represented the Commissioner for Health, assured stakeholders of the government’s commitment to the campaign, describing community acceptance and collective participation as critical to its success.
He called on parents, traditional institutions, religious leaders and other stakeholders to cooperate with vaccination personnel, stressing that government efforts would only produce meaningful results when communities actively embraced the exercise.
Earlier, the Acting Executive Secretary of SSPHCDA, Dr. Bilyaminu Yari Sifawa, said the agency was determined to ensure that every eligible child across the state’s 23 local government areas received the required protection against polio.
He stressed that effective coordination among health workers, traditional institutions, development partners and community structures was essential to achieving comprehensive coverage.
Sifawa also highlighted the importance of sustained public enlightenment in overcoming resistance and improving vaccine acceptance.
The state government acknowledged the contributions of development partners and international donors, including UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the United States Government, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Rotary International, WHO, Solina Centre for International Development and Research, AFENET, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Dangote Foundation.
The Commissioner for Health, Hon. Dr. Faruku Abubakar Wurno, formally flagged off the campaign, signalling the commencement of coordinated vaccination activities across the state.
The ceremony attracted government officials, traditional rulers, healthcare professionals, development partners and other stakeholders, who renewed calls for sustained political commitment, adequate funding and community participation in the fight against polio.
Stakeholders urged parents and guardians to ensure that every eligible child receives the vaccine, warning that complacency could expose children to a preventable disease capable of causing lifelong disability.
