Lawmakers from four northern states—Bauchi, Borno, Kano, and Sokoto—have launched a coordinated legislative initiative aimed at reducing the number of zero-dose children in Nigeria.
The commitment, now referred to as the “Lagos Declaration,” seeks to address longstanding gaps in the nation’s immunisation coverage.
Amos Gwamna Magaji, chairman of the House Committee on Health Care Services, National Assembly, disclosed this on Sunday in Abuja.
He explained that the move followed a two-day Legislative Retreat on Immunisation Equity, held in Lagos from July 18 to 19, 2025.
According to Magaji, the retreat brought together key stakeholders from the National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly, and Primary Health Care Development Agencies in the four states.
“Organised under the Zero Dose Learning Hub (ZDLH) initiative, the retreat had the theme ‘Legislative Partnerships for Reaching Zero-Dose Children in Nigeria,’” he said.
The event provided a platform for lawmakers and health officials to develop strategic, evidence-based solutions to tackle the immunisation crisis, especially among Nigeria’s most vulnerable populations.
“We are confronting a preventable tragedy. Too many Nigerian children are still missing life-saving vaccines. This retreat is about taking legislative responsibility for health equity,” Magaji stated.
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He revealed that deliberations at the retreat exposed a number of key challenges.
“One was the absence of routine immunisation budget lines in several states, which threatens the sustainable financing of vaccination programmes,” he said.
Another major issue identified was the low uptake of vaccines, fueled by entrenched socio-cultural beliefs, geographic inaccessibility, and disruptions caused by conflict.
He further noted that the lack of governing boards in some state primary health care development agencies was undermining effective governance and service coordination.
As a result of these gaps, Magaji noted that Nigeria remains among the top five countries globally with the highest number of zero-dose children—those who have not received even a single dose of any routine vaccine.
He said the retreat concluded with a communiqué outlining several key legislative commitments.
“One of the key resolutions was to convene a national meeting of chairmen of health committees from all 36 states in Abuja by the fourth quarter of 2025.”
“The lawmakers also pledged to advocate for the inclusion of dedicated immunisation budget lines in the 2026 state budgets to ensure sustained funding for vaccine delivery,” he added.
Lawmakers also resolved to undertake oversight visits to ZDLH project states, starting with Borno, to review the implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), counterpart funding, and Health Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).
He emphasised the importance of enhancing legislative involvement in Decentralised Immunisation Monitoring (DIM) surveys as a way of improving local accountability.
Furthermore, quarterly oversight by state health committees was agreed upon to ensure the timely release and efficient use of funds allocated for both primary health care and immunisation services.
Magaji also pledged to brief local government chairpersons and legislators from ZDLH-supported local government areas on survey findings to deepen accountability and ownership at the grassroots level.
“This isn’t just a health issue; it’s a national development emergency. The time for fragmented efforts is over. The legislature must lead from the front,” he declared.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), an estimated two million Nigerian children remain unvaccinated, the majority of whom live in rural, remote, or conflict-affected areas.
The Zero Dose Learning Hub initiative, backed by a consortium of development partners, seeks to implement and scale innovative solutions in its focus states using the IRMMA strategy: Identify, Reach, Monitor, Measure, and Advocate.
With the National Assembly now actively engaged, stakeholders are watching closely to see how these commitments will be translated into concrete action at both the federal and state levels.
For many, this retreat represents not just a symbolic gesture, but a potentially transformative moment in Nigeria’s efforts to reach every child, everywhere, with life-saving vaccines.