The Federal Government says it spends approximately 150 million dollars annually on vaccine procurement as it expands malaria vaccination to more states across the country.
The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Muyi Aina, disclosed this on Tuesday during the agency’s first quarterly media briefing for 2026 in Abuja.
Aina said funding for vaccines was sourced from federal government allocations and development partners, particularly Gavi, noting that donor support had begun to decline.
“Countries are now expected to increase domestic financing as global donor resources continue to shrink,” he said.
He explained that vaccine financing covered procurement, outbreak response, and logistics such as syringes, waste management systems, incinerators, and cold chain equipment, in addition to operational costs for nationwide immunisation delivery.
On malaria control, Aina said Nigeria had expanded its malaria vaccine rollout from pilot states—Bayelsa and Kebbi—to Bauchi and Ondo, based on readiness assessments.
He noted that the malaria vaccine requires a four-dose schedule, which poses compliance challenges.
“What is unique about the malaria vaccine is that it requires four doses, and ensuring children return for all doses remains a key challenge,” he said.
According to him, Bayelsa recorded about 68,000 doses administered, Kebbi 153,000, Bauchi 66,000, and Ondo over 7,000 doses. He added that dropouts between doses had prompted the government to strengthen tracking and follow-up systems.
Providing updates on vaccine stock and utilisation, Aina said about 600,000 doses were currently stored in the national cold chain system.
He further revealed that 984,559 children had received at least one dose in Kebbi and Bayelsa, while Ondo recorded about 166,342 children and Bauchi about 105,890, bringing the total number of children reached to nearly 1.3 million.
Describing vaccines as one of the safest and most cost-effective medical interventions, Aina said they were cheaper and more effective than many treatments commonly used for diseases such as malaria.
He noted that vaccines undergo rigorous testing and safety evaluation before approval, with benefits far outweighing potential risks.
“Vaccines are highly effective in preventing diseases such as measles. Its success often leads to reduced visibility of such diseases in communities,” he said.
Aina added that although all medical interventions may have side effects, vaccines remain among the most thoroughly tested and safest preventive tools.
He called for sustained public trust in health workers and immunisation programmes, adding that the government was investing in incentives and staffing to strengthen vaccine delivery.
He also noted that vaccination programmes often go unnoticed despite significant investment.
Beyond immunisation, Aina disclosed that 48,372 women had accessed free maternal services nationwide, while about 2,497 others benefited from obstetric fistula repair services coordinated through federal facilities and the National Health Insurance Authority.
He described the programme as critical to restoring dignity and improving the quality of life for affected women.
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