The House of Representatives on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to compensate the family of a 12-year-old student who tragically lost his life following a diphtheria outbreak at King’s College, Lagos.
Adopting a motion of urgent national importance by Rep. Akin Rotimi, the House also called on the Federal Ministry of Education to take immediate and decisive measures to strengthen health and safety protocols in all federal unity colleges, with particular attention to addressing the situation at King’s College.
The Lagos State Government on Tuesday confirmed 14 diphtheria cases among students at King’s College Annex, Victoria Island, Lagos, with one reported death.
The state government has since declared an emergency in the school and commenced the vaccination of all the students and staff.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), diphtheria is a disease caused by a bacterium that affects the upper respiratory tract and, less often, the skin.
It also produces a toxin that damages the heart and the nerves.
Presenting his motion, Rotimi noted that from week 19 of 2022 to week 04 of 2025, there were 24,804 confirmed cases of diphtheria across 25 states in Nigeria.
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According to him, out of the 24,804 confirmed cases reported in the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Weekly Diphtheria Situation Report of January 26, there were 1,269 fatalities across 18 states, with some states having as high as an 80-83 percent Case Fatality Rate (CFR).
He raised concerns that this unfortunate incident exposes significant lapses in infection prevention and control (IPC) measures in federal unity colleges and underscores the Federal Ministry of Education’s responsibility to ensure the health and safety of students in its institutions.
He, however, acknowledged the prompt intervention of the Lagos State Government in activating an Emergency Operations Committee (EOC), isolating and treating affected students, and initiating a mass vaccination campaign to contain the spread of the disease.
He also recognised the collaborative efforts of the NCDC, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and Lagos State in managing the crisis while emphasising the need for a comprehensive and proactive nationwide strategy for health and safety in schools.
In adopting the motion, the House mandated the House Committees on Health and Basic Education to engage with relevant agencies, including the NCDC, to assess and enhance infection prevention and emergency response measures in federal schools.
He said, “Call upon the Federal Ministry of Health, the NPHCDA, and the NCDC to intensify diphtheria vaccination and awareness campaigns in schools across the country to prevent future outbreaks.
“Direct the Federal Ministry of Education to undertake an urgent and comprehensive review of health infrastructure in unity colleges and establish a clear and effective framework for responding to infectious disease outbreaks in educational institutions.
“Mandate the NCDC to establish and implement a structured disease surveillance system within all federal unity colleges to ensure early detection and rapid response to infectious disease outbreaks.
“Commend the Lagos State Government, the NCDC, and other health authorities for their swift and commendable response, and encourage continued collaboration between federal and state agencies to safeguard the health and well-being of students.”
