By Omoyeni Ojeifo
To mark World Immunization Week, stakeholders are urging the Nigerian government to expedite the release of immunization funding to bolster vaccine coverage and eliminate the “zero-dose” gap among children nationwide.
This appeal was issued during a high-level meeting in Abuja, organized by the Vaccine Network for Disease Control and supported by Gavi and the Global Health Advocacy Incubator.
The event, themed “Unlocking Immunisation Funds, Saving Lives: Collective Action for Transparent and Timely Financing of Routine Immunisation,” focused on the critical need for financial accountability in public health.
“Right now, what Nigeria urgently needs is the timely release of vaccine funds. Manufacturing is a long term goal, but in the immediate term, we must ensure funds are released to procure vaccines that will save children’s lives and reduce zero-dose cases,” she said.
Persecondnews correspondent at the event reports that Chika stressed that Nigeria must also begin to strengthen political will and institutional commitment toward local vaccine production, noting that initiatives such as the Pharmaceutical Value Chain (PVAC) present opportunities for progress if properly implemented.
She further called for stronger collaboration between the executive, legislature, and relevant agencies to fast track reforms in vaccine financing and health security.
“The first thing is, you have to believe that it can be done. That commitment is what will push Nigeria to the next level of vaccine production and financing sustainability,” she said.
She also urged Nigeria to fully meet its co-financing obligations under global health partnerships, warning that failure to comply could affect external support.
“Nigeria must fulfil its obligations as a nation in this co-financing arrangement to protect the health of its people, because if responsibilities are not met, partners like Gavi will eventually withdraw support,” she added.
The VNDC Programmes Officer, Mrs. Janet Joseph Abah while giving the overview of the program noted that while immunisation budgets have increased over the years, actual fund releases remain significantly below expectations.
She stressed the need for sustainable domestic financing systems, stronger legislative backing, and reduced dependence on donor support to ensure long-term immunisation sustainability.
She also highlighted ongoing advocacy for alternative financing mechanisms, including excise taxes and proposed immunisation trust funds.
Stakeholders identified several systemic challenges affecting immunisation financing, including unclear fund release processes across government institutions, frequent leadership changes, donor dependency risks, and legislative delays that slow down critical reforms.
They warned that these challenges continue to weaken implementation and delay progress toward improved vaccine coverage nationwide.
Closing the engagement, Head of research development, James Obute said Nigeria continues to record poor fund release performance despite rising budgetary allocations.
“When you compare what is appropriated to what is actually released, we are still at about 20 to 30 per cent across 2023, 2024 and 2025. That gap is very poor and not sufficient to sustain effective immunisation coverage in Nigeria,” he said.
“Our goal is to move from this current average of 20 to 30 per cent fund release to at least 75 per cent year on year, because without timely and predictable financing, planning and vaccine delivery become extremely difficult,” he added.
He advised that Nigeria must strengthen inter-agency coordination, improve accountability mechanisms, and ensure predictable financing systems that guarantee timely release of immunisation funds.
Obute also called for stronger political commitment and sustained collaboration among government, partners, civil society, and the media to ensure that immunisation financing translates into real health outcomes for children across the country.
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