In an effort to eradicate polio in Nigeria and Africa, Rotary International has called for sustained immunisation, increased public awareness and stronger government support to ensure that every child is protected against the disease.
The District Governor of Rotary International District 9127, Sikiru Adetondo made the call in Abuja on Saturday, October 24, 2026, during activities marking World Polio Day.
He said the organisation had embarked on a week-long programme of sensitisation, community engagement and immunisation advocacy to reinforce the message that the fight against polio was not over.
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Adetondo explained that October 24 remained significant to Rotary and its partners because it provided an opportunity to renew global commitment to ending the disease.
According to him, the campaign was being implemented across the 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory covered by District 9127, with Rotarians mobilising communities to embrace immunisation.
“We must keep on with the campaign, the sensitisation and donations to keep polio out of the entire world, not only Nigeria,” he said.
He appealed to parents and caregivers to ensure that their children received recommended polio vaccines, warning that failure to immunise could leave children vulnerable to a preventable disease with lifelong consequences.
“We want to appeal to the parents, the fathers and mothers of children across the globe, but most especially within our district, that they should embrace immunisation and allow their children to be immunised,” Adetondo said.
He commended the Nigeria government and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for supporting efforts to eradicate the disease, expressing hope that the partnership with Rotary would continue until the last child was protected.
The District Polio Chair of Rotary International District 9127, Rotarian Mariam Ahmed, said the 2026 World Polio Day celebration was preceded by a week of activities designed to strengthen public understanding of the importance of vaccination.
She explained that Rotary clubs had visited communities to sensitise residents, supported immunisation activities and deployed different public awareness strategies, including branding vehicles and displaying polio eradication banners on streets across Abuja.
“Every day we had activities, visitations to communities to sensitise awareness on immunisation, we also had immunisation by some clubs and this year, I tell you that the awareness creation was loud,” Ahmed said.
She noted that the event also recognised the contributions of volunteers working on the field to immunise children, Rotarians providing financial support and partners collaborating to end polio.
Ahmed said donations from Rotarians and supporters helped sustain the global eradication effort through grants and support for relevant health organisations, including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
She added that Rotary was recognising clubs for outstanding community engagement, polio-related projects and financial contributions, stressing that the organisation remained committed to fulfilling its promise of a world free of polio.
“We do not want any case of poliomyelitis again, that is the reason we are fulfilling our promise to the children of the world as Rotarians to ensure a world free of polio,” she said.
Also speaking, the FCT Polio Representative for District 9127 and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for World Polio Day 2026, Rotarian Rudy, said Rotary’s collaboration with government agencies and international partners had contributed to progress in the fight against polio.
He recalled that Rotary began its polio eradication efforts in 1979 with a vaccination programme in the Philippines that reached millions of children.
The initiative subsequently expanded through collaboration with partners, including WHO, UNICEF, Gavi and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, contributing to the establishment of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988.
Rudy said the Federal Capital Territory had remained largely free of polio for more than three years, although a case reported during 2026 prompted a rapid response by Rotary and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
“All area councils are now almost free, there was a case this year, but Rotary sprang into action together with the Primary Health Care Development Agency quickly, and we nipped it in the bud,” he said.
He identified community awareness as a major component of the response, noting that Rotary had continued to engage traditional rulers, religious leaders, schools and youth groups to encourage parents to present their children for immunisation.
Rudy also highlighted the efforts of Rotaractor Steven Christen, a young Nigerian who cycled from Kano to Taraba State and subsequently from Kano to Abuja to raise awareness about polio eradication.
According to him, Christen’s journey involved stopping at primary healthcare centres along the route to share the message about immunisation, demonstrating the role individuals and community volunteers could play in public health campaigns.
The event also featured the recognition of individuals and Rotary clubs whose contributions had supported polio eradication activities.
Meanwhile, Benjamin Isaac, a Nigerian living with the effects of polio, appealed for greater attention to the needs of people affected by the disease and urged parents to protect their children through vaccination.
He recounted some of the challenges he had faced, including limited family support and difficulties in pursuing his education, underscoring the lasting social and personal consequences associated with polio.
The Rotary officials stressed that sustained immunisation, community participation, adequate funding and continued government support remained essential to preventing new infections and achieving a polio-free Nigeria, Africa and world.
