The Vaccine Network for Disease Control (VNDC) has commended the Vaccine Alliance, Gavi, 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, Chika Offor, gave the commendation in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

Ms Offor had earlier joined Gavi Chief Executive Officer, Dr Sania Nishtar, during a visit to the Gavi-supported Apo Primary Health Care Centre in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

She said that the funding would accelerate efforts to reduce the number of zero-dose children and improve equitable access to life-saving vaccines.

According to her, the support, approved under Gavi’s 6.0 programme for 2026 to 2030, will strengthen routine immunisation, expand Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, sustain polio eradication and improve vaccine financing.

She described the predictable five-year funding framework as a significant milestone that would enhance 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 said.

Ms Offor said the engagement reaffirmed the importance of communities in reducing zero-dose children.

She noted that achieving universal immunisation required more than vaccines and health facilities, noting that effective community systems remains central to identifying, referring, tracking and following up eligible children.

She added that the visit to healthcare centre in Apo also demonstrated Gavi’s recognition of communities as indispensable partners in improving immunisation coverage and strengthening primary healthcare at the grassroots.

“Traditional and religious leaders, ward development committee members, women groups and frontline health workers appreciated Gavi’s support in solarising the facility, which had 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, ” she added.

The VNDC boss said that civil society organisations remained indispensable because they mobilised communities, built trust, countered misinformation and supported efforts to identify and vaccinate zero-dose children.

She noted that CSOs also strengthened last-mile service delivery by ensuring that eligible children were referred, vaccinated and followed up until they completed their immunisation schedules.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Muyi Aina, also commended Gavi and other development partners for their efforts.

Mr Aina described them as critical to improving 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 said.

He stated that the Apo Primary Health Care Centre was a successful example of collaboration among the Federal Government, the local government and development partners.

According to him, 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 allso 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,” he said.

Mr 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 notd that sustained collaboration among governments, development partners, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, ward development committees and frontline health workers would remain essential to ensuring that every eligible child receives life-saving vaccines

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 makes the country one of 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 hamper immunisation efforts.

To address the challenge, NPHCDA, has strengthened collaboration with Gavi, WHO, UNICEF and other partners.

The strengthened collaboration is 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).

They 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. 

(NAN)