Traditional rulers, religious leaders and women leaders are increasing vaccine acceptance in rural Nigeria by addressing community concerns and encouraging families to immunise their children, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, says.

Gavi said in a statement, highlighting the role of trusted community figures in supporting immunisation efforts across rural Nigeria.

According to Mr Gavi, while strong supply chains are essential for delivering vaccines to communities, overcoming vaccine hesitancy remains critical to ensuring children receive life-saving immunisation services nationwide.

It said trusted community leaders, including village chiefs, imams and women leaders, were helping bridge the “last mile” by engaging hesitant families directly and addressing misconceptions about vaccination.

The alliance noted that these local influencers were using their credibility and close ties with community members to build confidence in vaccines and encourage parents to bring children to health workers regularly.

Mr Gavi said the approach demonstrated that improving immunisation coverage required not only reliable vaccine supplies but also strong community engagement, sustained advocacy efforts and trusted local leadership structures nationwide.

It added that mobilising respected community figures was helping to strengthen confidence in routine immunisation, increase public trust and expand access to life-saving vaccines in underserved rural communities.

The alliance urged the public to read the full account of the initiative on its VaccinesWork platform, where it provides details of the community-driven immunisation effort for broader public awareness.

(NAN)