“UNICEF Mobilizes Media Alliance to Immunize 1.5 Million Children in Jigawa as Nigeria Intensifies Polio Eradication Drive”

“UNICEF Mobilizes Media Alliance to Immunize 1.5 Million Children in Jigawa as Nigeria Intensifies Polio Eradication Drive”

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has intensified efforts to eliminate polio in northern Nigeria, rallying media professionals and key stakeholders in Jigawa State to support a large-scale vaccination campaign targeting approximately 1.5 million children under the age of five.
The initiative forms part of Nigeria’s broader public health strategy to sustain progress against poliomyelitis and prevent a resurgence of the virus. During an engagement session with journalists and communication partners, UNICEF emphasized the critical role of the media in combating misinformation, promoting vaccine acceptance, and ensuring widespread community participation across rural and urban communities.
Health officials noted that despite Nigeria being declared free of wild polio virus in 2020, risks remain due to circulating variant polio virus strains, low immunization coverage in some areas, and population mobility across borders. The upcoming campaign in Jigawa is therefore designed not only as a preventive measure but also as a reinforcement of routine immunization systems aimed at safeguarding vulnerable children.
UNICEF representatives urged journalists to adopt fact-based reporting and culturally sensitive messaging capable of reaching caregivers at the grassroots level. According to the agency, trusted local media voices remain essential in addressing vaccine hesitancy and strengthening public confidence in immunization programs, particularly in northern Nigeria where community engagement significantly influences health outcomes.
Jigawa State health authorities reaffirmed their collaboration with development partners, traditional leaders, and civil society organizations to ensure seamless vaccine distribution and monitoring. The campaign will deploy trained health workers across wards and settlements, including hard to reach communities, as Nigeria continues working toward complete polio eradication in line with global health commitments.
Public health experts say sustained vaccination campaigns are vital to preventing outbreaks and protecting gains achieved through decades of international cooperation led by organizations such as UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
As Africa advances toward a polio-free future, stakeholders stress that consistent awareness, strong political will, and responsible media coverage remain indispensable pillars in protecting the continent’s youngest population from preventable diseases.