A mass polio immunisation campaign is about to begin in north-eastern Nigeria after new polio cases were recently found in the region.

There was an initial emergency vaccination of children earlier this month in the communities affected to contain the virus.

This is first phase of what will be a country-wide campaign organised by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Nigerian authorities.

Millions of children aged five and under are expected to be vaccinated.

Other countries in the Lake Chad area, including Niger, Cameroon, Chad and the Central African Republic, will also be targeted.

Ahead of Saturday’s vaccination exercise, Nigerian papers have reported that the country has received or has requested a $125m (£94m) loan from the World Bank to tackle the outbreak.

Health officials contacted by the BBC cannot confirm this – some saying it may be a grant.

Polio paralysed two children in Borno State, a part of north-eastern Nigeria devastated by Islamist Boko Haram militants.

The cases have been described as a major setback for Nigeria, which was on track to be declared polio free in 2017.

But officials are confident the mass immunisation campaign will help bring the continent back on track. (BBC)

•Photo shows President Muhammadu Buhari vaccinating a child against polio.