Health officials say Nigeria is increasing both funding and reach of its vaccination programmes, particularly in the rollout of the malaria vaccine.
The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Muyiwa Aina, disclosed this on Tuesday during the agency’s first quarterly media briefing for 2026 in Abuja.
Aina said vaccine financing is supported by federal allocations and development partners, including Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, though donor support is declining.
“Countries are now expected to increase domestic financing as global donor resources continue to shrink”, he said.
He explained that funding covers procurement, outbreak response, logistics, waste management, cold chain systems and nationwide immunisation delivery costs.
On malaria control, he said Nigeria has expanded its malaria vaccine rollout from Bayelsa and Kebbi to Bauchi and Ondo after readiness assessments.
He noted that the vaccine requires four doses, making full compliance a challenge.
“What is unique about the malaria vaccine is that it requires four doses, and ensuring children return for all doses remains a key challenge, Aina said.
He disclosed that Bayelsa recorded about 68,000 doses administered, Kebbi 153,000, Bauchi 66,000, and Ondo over 7,000 doses.
He added that dropouts between doses have led to stronger tracking systems, while about 600,000 doses are in the national cold chain system.
He also noted that nearly 1.3 million children have received at least one dose across Kebbi, Bayelsa, Ondo and Bauchi.
Aina described vaccines as one of the safest and most cost-effective medical interventions, saying they undergo strict testing and help prevent diseases such as measles.
He called for continued public trust in immunisation programmes, noting ongoing government investments to strengthen delivery.
Beyond immunisation, he said 48,372 women accessed free maternal health services nationwide, while 2,497 others benefited from obstetric fistula repair services coordinated through federal facilities and the National Health Insurance Authority.
