Lawmaker raises alarm over outbreak of diphtheria in Nigeria
The lawmaker representing Ikole/Oye Federal Constituency, Ekiti, Akin Rotimi, on Wednesday raised the alarm over the outbreak of diphtheria in Nigeria.
Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection that typically affects the mucous membranes of the nose and throat.
Moving a motion under urgent public importance, Mr Rotimi revealed that there was an outbreak of diphtheria at the boarding house of King’s College, Victoria Island Annexe, Lagos State.
“A Federal Government-owned institution has been affected, leading to the tragic death of a 12-year-old student and the hospitalisation of several others,” he said.
Mr Rotimi disclosed that from week 19 of 2022 to week 04 of 2025, there had been 24,804 confirmed cases of diphtheria across 25 states in Nigeria.
According to him, data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Weekly Diphtheria Situation Report indicates that there were 1,269 fatalities across 18 states, with some states recording case fatality rates (CFR) as high as between 80 per cent and 83 per cent.
Mr Rotimi therefore urged the House to mandate the NCDC to establish and implement a structured disease surveillance system within federal unity colleges to ensure early detection and rapid response to infectious disease outbreaks.
He also called on the Federal Ministry of Education to take immediate and decisive steps to strengthen health and safety protocols in all federal unity colleges.
Furthermore, he appealed to the Federal Ministry of Health and the NCDC to intensify diphtheria vaccination and awareness campaigns in schools nationwide to prevent future outbreaks.
Mr Rotimi also urged the federal ministry of education to conduct an urgent and comprehensive review of health infrastructure in unity colleges.
According to him, this will help establish a clear and effective framework for responding to infectious disease outbreaks in educational institutions.
Additionally, he recommended that the federal government provide appropriate compensation to the family of the deceased student in recognition of their tragic loss.
The Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, referred the motion to the House Committees on Health and Basic Education for further legislative consideration.
(NAN)
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
States
Lightning strike kills six people in Adamawa
The police command in Adamawa has confirmed the death of six people following a lightning strike in the Ganye council.
States
Cross River govt exempts women, elderly drivers from vehicle registration, levies
The Cross River government has exempted women in commercial transport and men aged 60 and above from paying vehicle registration and daily operational levies.
Politics
INEC says Osun residents’ PVCs ready for collection ahead of governorship poll
INEC has announced that PVCs of eligible voters who registered or updated their records during the recent CVR exercise in the state are ready for collection.
Sport
13-year-old boy killed as Spaniards celebrate 2026 World Cup win
A 13-year-old boy was killed after the Árbol Gordo fountain collapsed as football fans gathered to celebrate the country’s World Cup win.
States
Gas tanker leak contained in Kaduna: KADSEMA
The executive secretary of KADSEMA, Usman Mazadu, said the agency has contained a compressed gas tanker leak in Kaduna South.
World
Iran War: Three U.S. servicemen killed
Another American service member has been reported killed by fragments of a downed Iranian drone in northern Iraq, raising the number of U.S. troops killed last week to three.
