Nigeria's Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Muyi Aina
By JOY ADARA, Abuja-
Nigeria’s Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Muyi Aina, has sounded the alarm, warning that the country requires a staggering $1 billion over the next five years to sustain its immunization gains.
Speaking at the Multi-stakeholders’ Technical Workshop on Optimising a Sustainable Immunisation Financing Model in Nigeria 2.0 in Abuja, Aina emphasized that the current funding gap poses a significant threat to the nation’s progress.
With only 21% of the allocated vaccine funds for 2024 released, Nigeria is at risk of reversing its hard-won gains.
“We need one billion dollars over the next five years to secure vaccines for our population. But with less than a quarter of this year’s budget released, we are at risk of reversing hard-won gains,” Aina cautioned.
Despite the funding challenges, the NPHCDA boss highlighted notable achievements in 2024, including: reaching millions of zero-dose children, vaccination of 14 million girls against cervical cancer, 91 million vaccine doses administered and over 10,000 cold chain units operational across the country
Aina stressed that immunization is not solely the responsibility of the Federal Government but a national obligation.
“Immunisation is a national duty—for our children, our families, and the future of our health system,” he emphasized.
To address the funding gap, the government is exploring alternative revenue sources, including specific taxes and innovative financing mechanisms. The discussions highlighted the importance of domestic resource mobilization, collaboration and accountability frameworks
