The Jigawa State government has finalised preparations for a major polio vaccination exercise targeting 1.5 million children across the state.

The announcement was made during a media dialogue organised by UNICEF ahead of the campaign.

Dr. Shehu Sambo, Executive Secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Board, revealed the details through the agency’s Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Zakariyya Shehu, who represented him at the event.

According to him, the vaccination exercise will run from November 29 to December 2, 2025, covering all 27 local government areas of the state.

“The state has received its full allocation of the vaccine from the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, and all necessary arrangements have been made to distribute the vaccines according to population demands,” he said.

Dr. Sambo explained that the state has already mobilised the required workforce to ensure smooth implementation. “We have recruited ad-hoc staff and formed them into teams under the supervision and coordination of state and local government officials, as is our standard practice,” he stated.

He added that in addition to the house-to-house vaccination teams targeting children aged 0 to 5, the state has established rapid response teams to tackle any emergencies that may arise during the exercise.

“All necessary mechanisms have been put in place for monitoring and tracking coverage,” he said.

“We have equally engaged community leaders, civil societies, and volunteers for the exercise. This media dialogue is also organized to remind the media of their role in public enlightenment and in generating demand for the success of the exercise,” Dr. Sambo noted.

In his remarks, the Chief of UNICEF Field Office in Kano, Ahama Farah, highlighted the national significance of the initiative. He said more than 42 million children are expected to be reached in the first and second phases of Nigeria’s 2025 polio immunisation campaign.

“Jigawa is among the states in the first batch, and UNICEF will continue to support and collaborate with the government to ensure no child is omitted from the exercise,” he assured.

The upcoming campaign marks another major step in Nigeria’s efforts to sustain its polio-free status and strengthen immunity among children nationwide. (Channels TV)