Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and UNICEF, have commended Nigeria for meeting its vaccine co-financing obligations in 2024, saying the achievement enabled the country to procure life-saving vaccines for its citizens.
Ms. Edna Hariimenshi, GAVI Senior Country Manager, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), on the sidelines of the handover of the GAVI, and UNICEF Primary Health Care (PHC) Solarisation Project to the Federal Government.
The project involved 371 solarised PHCs across 17 states, organised by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
Hariimenshi said the project demonstrated what strong leadership and collaboration could achieve: clean, reliable power that strengthened PHC services, protected vaccine potency, supported safe deliveries at night, and enabled health workers to serve their communities with confidence.
She highlighted Nigeria’s progress in immunisation over the past two decades, noting that Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DTP3), coverage increased from 27 per cent in 2001 to 67 per cent in 2024, according to WHO and UNICEF estimates.
“Today’s inauguration is a decisive step toward overcoming longstanding barriers, including unreliable power, which affects cold chains, emergency care, and the safety of childbirth,” she said.
She added that the nine-million-dollar investment is projected to benefit more than 115 million people, strengthening the foundation needed to sustain routine immunisation gains and prepare for future vaccine introductions.
She said the organisation remained committed to supporting Nigeria as it implemented Gavi 6.0, a strategic period focused on country ownership and strong, adaptable health systems.
On vaccine supply, she said that although some states had experienced shortages of the HPV vaccine, an upcoming shipment will address the gaps, emphasising that the stockouts reflected global demand rather than domestic limitations.
She recognised Nigeria’s frontline health workers, describing them as “the heartbeat of immunisation,” and expressed hope that the solarised PHCs would enable them to serve communities more safely and effectively.
“Together, we are powering primary health care and moving closer to a future where every child in Nigeria has access to life-saving vaccines,” she said. (NAN)
