Abah Felicity 
NASARAWA, Nigeria – Nigeria has intensified efforts to strengthen its polio eradication programme with the training of health data officers to improve immunisation tracking, identify underserved communities and ensure more children receive life-saving vaccines.
The two-week capacity-building programme, which commenced on Friday in Akwanga, Nasarawa State, has brought together 62 Data and Information Management Officers from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, representing the country’s six geopolitical zones.
The initiative comes as Nigeria works to eliminate circulating variant polioviruses (cVPV2 and cVPV3), despite the country and the entire African Region having been certified free of wild poliovirus in August 2020 after more than four years without recording any case of wild poliovirus type 1.
Speaking during the training, the WHO Nigeria Polio Eradication Programme Cluster Lead, Dr. Kofi Boateng, said reliable data remains one of the strongest tools for reaching vulnerable children and improving outbreak response.
“Data helps us see where the risks are and where support is needed. When state and zonal teams can analyse information quickly, they can better guide field teams, follow up on missed settlements and support faster response,” Boateng said.
The WHO Representative to Nigeria, Dr. Pavel Ursu noted that strengthening health information systems would improve not only polio eradication efforts but also broader healthcare delivery across the country.
“Strong health programmes rely on strong data. When health teams have timely and accurate information, they can identify gaps faster, direct resources where they are most needed and support communities that might otherwise be missed,” Ursu said.
A Data and Information Management Officer from Kebbi State, Surajuddeen Lukman, said “In Kebbi State, I have seen how delayed or incomplete data can affect response efforts. This training is helping me better analyse information so health teams can reach communities faster and protect more children,” Lukman said.
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Hope Ajayi 
Korede Abdullah 