Korede Abdullah in Lagos
In a determined effort to eradicate polio across Nigeria, the Kwara State Government, in partnership with the Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development, has mobilized traditional leaders to champion the vaccination campaign within their communities.
At a workshop in Ilorin on Monday, the Emir of Shonga, Dr. Haliru Yahaya, who chairs the state’s northern traditional leaders committee, warned that 2025 marks the end of donor funding for polio in Nigeria.
“There is need to use every strategy to save the lives of Nigerian children through effective polio vaccinations,” he emphasised, urging traditional leaders to appoint trustworthy, community-based volunteers to prevent past lapses where vaccines were discarded and falsified reports submitted.
The Kwara State focal person for the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee, Dr. Abimbola Folorunsho stressed the urgency of the campaign slated for June 28 to July 1, 2025.
“We are now running out of time because the partners that are giving us grants for the programme will no longer send funds for polio again,” she said, calling on leaders to nominate committed locals who can overcome challenges such as language barriers and poor team commitment.
Folorunsho maintained that with the right team and community backing, no child would be left unvaccinated this time.
Supporting the call, Mrs. Hyelhirra Mshelia of the Sultan Foundation underscored the importance of wide vaccination coverage to achieve herd immunity and eliminate circulating polio variants.
Mr. Gidado Ridwan of AFENET noted persistent public ignorance, adding that demands for incentives hinder vaccination efforts. “Donor fatigue is real,” Ridwan warned, as he urged traditional rulers to fully own the campaign.
In a firm stance, the Balogun Afin of Ilorin, representing the Emir of Ilorin, declared that any family refusing to immunize their children would be asked to leave the community—a sign of the growing seriousness in the final fight against polio.
