Abuja: The Vaccine Network for Disease Control (VNDC) has commended Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, for approving nearly $500 million to strengthen Nigeria’s immunisation programme and primary healthcare system over the next five years. The Chief Executive Officer of VNDC, Mrs. Chika Offor, expressed her appreciation in a statement released to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Offor joined Gavi CEO, Dr. Sania Nishtar, during a visit to the Gavi-supported Apo Primary Health Care Centre in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). She highlighted that the funding would accelerate efforts to reduce the number of zero-dose children and enhance equitable access to life-saving vaccines. The support, approved under Gavi’s 6.0 programme for 2026 to 2030, will bolster routine immunisation, expand Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, sustain polio eradication, and improve vaccine financing.
Offor emphasized that the predictable five-year funding framework marks a significant milestone, enhancing planning, vaccine procurement, cold-chain systems, and service delivery across Nigeria. “The approval of nearly $500 million for Nigeria demonstrates Gavi’s confidence in our health system and provides a strong foundation for expanding equitable access to vaccines, particularly in underserved communities,” she stated.
She also underscored the importance of communities in reducing zero-dose children, noting that achieving universal immunisation requires more than just vaccines and health facilities. Effective community systems are essential for identifying, referring, tracking, and following up with eligible children. The visit to the healthcare centre in Apo illustrated Gavi’s recognition of communities as crucial partners in improving immunisation coverage and strengthening primary healthcare at the grassroots level.
Traditional and religious leaders, ward development committee members, women groups, and frontline health workers appreciated Gavi’s support in solarising the facility, which has significantly improved healthcare delivery. “Reliable electricity has enhanced vaccine storage, preserved the cold chain, and enabled health workers to provide better services to mothers and children,” Offor added.
Meanwhile, Dr. Muyi Aina, Executive Director and CEO of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), also commended Gavi and other development partners for their efforts. Aina described them as critical to enhancing access to quality primary healthcare during the visit. “We remain very appreciative of the partnership that we have with Gavi and many of our development partners as we strive to improve access to quality basic health services for all Nigerians,” he remarked.
He cited the Apo Primary Health Care Centre as a successful example of collaboration among the Federal Government, local government, and development partners. The local government built and operates the facility, the Federal Government supports it through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, while Gavi provides vaccine commodities and funded the solarisation of the facility. “The partnership has strengthened health infrastructure, improved vaccine storage and delivery, and created a sustainable model that should be replicated across the country,” Aina said.
Aina urged state and local governments to strengthen investments in primary healthcare and adopt similar partnership models to improve access to quality health services. He stressed that sustained collaboration among governments, development partners, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, ward development committees, and frontline health workers is crucial to ensuring that every eligible child receives life-saving vaccines.
NAN reports that Nigeria has one of the world’s largest populations of zero-dose children, with an estimated 2.2 million children yet to receive a single dose of routine vaccines. This places the country among the highest-burden nations globally. Zero-dose children are often concentrated in underserved, conflict-affected, and hard-to-reach communities, where barriers such as weak health infrastructure, insecurity, poverty, misinformation, and limited access to health services continue to hinder immunisation efforts.
To address this challenge, the NPHCDA has strengthened collaboration with Gavi, WHO, UNICEF, and other partners. This collaboration aims to expand routine immunisation, improve vaccine cold-chain systems, upgrade primary healthcare facilities, strengthen disease surveillance, and build the capacity of frontline health workers. The partnership aligns with the Federal Government’s Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), which seek to revitalise primary healthcare, expand access to essential health services, increase immunisation coverage, and ensure that every eligible child is reached with life-saving vaccines.
The Gavi 6.0 funding package will support routine immunisation, primary healthcare strengthening, vaccine financing, polio eradication activities, and HPV vaccine expansion in Nigeria between 2026 and 2030.