Former senator and health advocate, Dr. Ibrahim Oloriegbe, has called for the urgent need for Nigeria to rely on local vaccine production, which will aid in quicker distribution, reduce costs, create jobs, and ensure availability.
Oloriegbe made this call on Wednesday during a press conference in Abuja, stating that vaccine financing should be substantial enough to cover logistics, cold-chain maintenance, and last-mile delivery.
“Vaccines don’t walk themselves to health centers,” he noted. “The cold chain is critical. Vaccines must be stored at sub-zero temperatures and transported securely through multiple levels, from national to state, local governments, and finally to healthcare facilities,” Oloriegbe said.
He added that the federal, state, and local governments have responsibilities and roles to play in ensuring that vaccines are distributed and delivered to the last mile, warning that delays might lead to child deaths.
“Ideally, every local government should receive vaccines from the state store and ensure delivery to the facilities under their care,” he said.
While highlighting the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic due to breakdowns in global supply chains, he said, “We don’t need to produce all vaccines at once. Start with traditional ones like BCG and polio. Local production will reduce costs, create jobs, and ensure availability.”
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Emphasising the danger of delay in administering vaccines for measles to infants, he noted, “A child born today can’t wait for the next quarter to receive the BCG vaccine,” citing that delay makes the vaccine lose its effectiveness.
He stressed that untreated diseases such as measles, pertussis, and tetanus can lead to long-term health complications such as blindness, deafness, and cognitive delays.
At the event, the Vaccine Network for Disease Control (VNDC) also urged the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to implement a long-term and reliable vaccine financing system.
The appeal comes as donor support continues to decline and fiscal limitations intensify, posing risks to the country’s immunisation progress.
The organisation acknowledged recent government actions, including the clearance of outstanding vaccine funds from 2022 and 2023, and the partial disbursement of the 2024 vaccine budget.
VNDC also highlighted the proposed N231.7 billion in the 2025 budget dedicated to immunisation, malaria vaccines, and vaccine monitoring, describing these moves as positive steps forward.
Despite notable achievements in immunisation—such as eliminating wild poliovirus, protecting millions of children under five, and attaining a 71% HPV vaccine coverage—Nigeria still struggles with a high number of children who have never received any routine vaccinations.
VNDC emphasised that without a sustainable funding structure, these accomplishments could be reversed.
The organisation recommended that vaccine funding be prioritised in the national budget to ensure timely access and prevent shortages.
It also urged President Bola Tinubu to task the Ministry of Budget and National Planning with creating a consistent vaccine financing framework and encouraged the National Assembly to formally prioritise vaccine funding in budgetary decisions.
Additionally, the group appealed to state and local governments to establish and release dedicated vaccine budgets promptly.
It also encouraged private sector involvement, positioning vaccine support as an investment in national health and economic development.
VNDC further commended the Federal Government’s N1 trillion initiative to strengthen Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), noting that improved PHCs will enhance vaccine access and reduce the number of unvaccinated children across the country.
