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)
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