The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, has called for continued awareness campaigns to prevent the resurgence of polio variants in Nigeria.

He emphasized the need for collaboration among civil society organizations, philanthropists, and the government to tackle health challenges.

Pate disclosed this in Abuja, at the symbolic polio immunization organized by the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation, SEOF, to celebrate this year’s World Polio Day in Abuja.

He acknowledged the significant milestone of the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation with particular reference to its effort towards the elimination of polio in Nigeria.

The Minister said: “Sir Emeka Offor has done so much since I knew him in our fight to eradicate polio in Nigeria. Am happy with him and I pray he continues in this effort. See women and their children, their faces here demonstrate that all is well with them.”

In his remarks, the SEOF founder and the Rotary International polio ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Emeka Offor, said that his foundation would not relent in improving the well-being of Nigerians.

In his remarks, Dr. Emeka Offor, founder of SEOF and Rotary International’s Polio Ambassador to Nigeria, emphasized that the battle against polio is not over, adding that his foundation would not relent in improving the well-being of Nigerians.

He stressed that their job of fighting polio was not over because the virus could crop up from within and without.

He called for increased surveillance and stronger partnerships between the government and non-governmental organizations to sustain momentum.

Offor said: “Notwithstanding these efforts and enormous resources so far committed, the job is not finished. With two countries and Pakistan Afghanistan yet to reach the finish line, there is still the danger of this scourge in the world. This demands our renewed commitment and innovative approaches.”

The pioneer district governor of 9127 Rotary International Nigeria, Mike Ukachi, said his team had been providing polio vaccines to clean up any trace of the virus in Nigeria.

Also at the occasion, Adaora Offor, charged all participants to expand their scope of awareness by reaching out to others, adding that it takes a holistic approach to succeed in the fight against disturbing issues such as polio.

A former Minister of Tourism, Culture, and National Orientation, Adetokunbo Kayode, called on the federal government to make it mandatory for all Nigerian children to undergo Polio immunization.