The Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency, in collaboration with development partners, has officially flagged off the second round of the Immunisation Plus Days campaign, targeting about 2.5 million children aged 0–59 months across the 25 local government areas of the state.

Speaking during the flag-off ceremony held at the Emir’s Palace in Minna, Governor Muhammad Umaru Bago said the exercise demonstrates his administration’s commitment to tackling maternal and child mortality through the eradication of vaccine-preventable diseases, especially in rural communities.

The governor, represented by his deputy, Comrade Yakubu Garba, said the campaign was designed to ensure communities are adequately informed and sensitised on the importance of routine immunisation and the ongoing Immunisation Plus Days exercise.

He urged parents, caregivers, youths, school teachers, and community leaders to mobilise households to patronise primary healthcare facilities and ensure children receive polio and other routine vaccines to prevent paralysis and disability caused by preventable diseases.

“I want all women groups, traditional and religious institutions to go door-to-door continuously to promote the benefits of immunisation,” he said.

Bago assured that the state government would continue working closely with stakeholders in the health sector to ensure adherence to standards, guidelines, and protocols.

In his keynote address, the Niger State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Murtala Muhammad Bagana, said the government has continued to invest heavily in public health interventions, including sustained funding and implementation of polio immunisation campaigns and other supplemental immunisation activities.

According to him, the interventions are crucial to protecting children against vaccine-preventable diseases and preventing possible resurgence.

“No health system can function effectively without the right human resources. This administration has taken deliberate steps to strengthen the frontline health workforce, including the recent absorption of workers previously engaged under GAVI and MAMI-supported programmes into the state health system,” Bagana stated.

Earlier, the Executive Director of the Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Inuwa Junaidu, disclosed that the Immunisation Plus Days campaign, which commenced from May 2 to May 5, 2026, has been progressing steadily across the state.

He noted that many children remain vulnerable, especially those who missed routine immunisation, and appealed to residents to cooperate with vaccination teams conducting house-to-house visits.

Junaidu explained that the second round of the 2026 Immunisation Plus Days campaign was specifically designed to reach children in hard-to-reach, underserved, and vulnerable communities across the state.

In separate goodwill messages, representatives of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, and other development partners reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the fight against polio and other diseases in Niger State.

The highlight of the event was the symbolic administration of vaccines to children by the Deputy Governor, Comrade Yakubu Garba.