The Federal Government says it has administered more than 47 million doses of measles and yellow fever vaccines across Nigeria as part of intensified efforts to strengthen disease prevention and public health outcomes.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, disclosed this on Sunday while highlighting progress recorded in immunisation coverage under the current administration.
According to him, over 25 million Nigerians have received measles vaccines, while 22 million people were vaccinated against yellow fever, alongside the rollout of Africa’s first Mpox vaccine.
“Under this administration, more than 25 million measles doses and 22 million yellow fever vaccines have been delivered nationwide, in addition to Africa’s first Mpox vaccine deployment,” Pate said.
The minister added that immunisation efforts extended beyond the two diseases, noting that five million children had received the pentavalent vaccine, while over 10 million Nigerians were vaccinated with the tetanus-diphtheria vaccine as part of the national diphtheria response.
Pate also revealed that Nigeria deployed more than one million vaccine doses from the Gavi-supported global stockpile to contain meningitis outbreaks in parts of the northern region.
He said the country recently recorded a major milestone in malaria control with the introduction of Nigeria’s first malaria vaccine, describing it as a turning point in tackling a disease responsible for a significant proportion of child deaths.
“Nigeria carries the highest malaria burden globally, accounting for about 39.3 per cent of malaria-related deaths among children under five. The introduction of the R21 Matrix-M malaria vaccine is therefore a major public health breakthrough,” he said.
The minister explained that the malaria vaccine rollout began in Bayelsa and Kebbi states, with Kebbi targeting over 179,000 children aged five to 15 months.
He disclosed that Nigeria had received one million doses of the vaccine, combining support from Gavi and direct federal government financing, with plans for nationwide expansion.
Beyond immunisation, Pate said Nigeria was emerging as a leader in global disease control and domestic health financing.
He disclosed that in 2025, the Federal Government committed 54 million dollars to tuberculosis control, making Nigeria the largest African contributor to the Global Fund, a development announced at the G20 meeting in Johannesburg.
“These are not marginal improvements. They represent substantial gains driven by deliberate reforms and increased investment in the health sector,” he said.
Pate also highlighted progress in the fight against cervical cancer, noting that although about 12,000 Nigerian women are diagnosed annually, the disease is largely preventable through early vaccination.
He said that since the launch of the Human Papillomavirus vaccination programme in October 2023, more than 14 million girls aged nine to 14 years had been vaccinated across 15 states and the Federal Capital Territory, achieving over 90 per cent coverage.
The minister attributed the achievements to improved coordination across all tiers of government and development partners through the Sector-Wide Approach, adding that an additional ₦68 billion had recently been approved for vaccine financing.
He said the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu prioritised human development and access to quality healthcare, stressing that improved service delivery was already evident.
“Health facility utilisation has risen sharply. While about 10 million visits were recorded nationwide in the second quarter of 2024, that figure exceeded 45 million by the second quarter of 2025,” Pate said.
According to him, the increase reflects growing public trust in healthcare services, particularly preventive care, which had previously been hampered by misinformation and limited access.
Pate reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reducing preventable illnesses and deaths, stating that improved health outcomes were essential to sustaining productivity and dignity among Nigerians.
