Governor Ahmed Aliyu has flagged off the 2026 Outbreak Response (OBR) campaign against the poliovirus in Sokoto State, warning officials against the misappropriation of immunization funds.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to ending poliovirus transmission in the state.
To ensure full coverage of the immunization exercise, he disclosed that the state technical team has trained and deployed adequate personnel across all 244 wards.
He further explained that 2,830 house-to-house teams will visit every household in the 244 wards to administer nOPV and bOPV vaccines.
According to him, children aged 0–59 months will receive nOPV and bOPV vaccines, children aged 6 weeks–59 months will receive fIPV vaccines, while children aged 0–23 months will also benefit from routine immunization services.
“Additionally, we have 3,151 trained healthcare workers stationed at fixed and temporary posts across the state to administer the fIPV vaccine,” he said.
“We also have 488 special teams equipped to reach transit locations, hard-to-reach areas, and security-challenged communities to vaccinate eligible children. Furthermore, 321 fixed-post teams have been stationed at hospitals and strategic locations to provide routine immunization services,” he added.
Governor Aliyu noted that this integrated approach is designed to ensure effective community outreach and accessible service delivery for all eligible children.
He called on local government chairmen and traditional rulers to cooperate fully with vaccinators and officials to ensure the success of the programme. He also directed all commissioners in the state to oversee and monitor the exercise in their respective areas.
“I want to use this medium to warn officials handling this exercise against tampering with funds meant for it. Anyone found sabotaging this programme in any form will be dealt with accordingly,” the Governor warned.
He further urged parents and community leaders to support the government’s efforts to eradicate poliomyelitis in the state, while commending development partners for their continued support.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Faruk Wurno, stated that Sokoto State has recorded steady progress in key health indicators. He noted improvements in immunization coverage, alongside gradual reductions in child and maternal mortality rates.
He added that the state has achieved over 95% implementation of National Council on Health resolutions, positioning Sokoto among the best-performing states in Nigeria.
Dr. Wurno also commended the Governor for ensuring the transparent utilization of Basic Health Care Provision Funds, which are directly disbursed to Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities and tied to structured business plans to enhance functionality.
Also speaking, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, represented by the District Head of Wurno, Alhaji Kabiru Chigari, praised the Governor for developmental projects across the state, particularly in the health sector. He reaffirmed the Sultanate Council’s continued support for polio eradication efforts.
Goodwill messages were delivered by development partners, including NPHCDA, WHO, UNICEF, MACKING, SOLINA, CDC, AFENET, and the Sultanate Council Committee on Health.
They commended the state government’s commitment to improving healthcare through infrastructure development, provision of medical equipment, and sustained funding of immunization programmes.
In his vote of thanks, the Special Adviser on Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Muhammad Bello Marnona, applauded Governor Aliyu’s efforts in strengthening primary healthcare delivery in the state.
The highlight of the event was the administration of oral polio vaccines to children by the Governor.
