In observance of the National Immunisation Days (NIDs), which was held from May 3-6, 2025, the Rotary Club of Lekki Phase 1 has conducted a massive polio immunisation exercise in the Lekki area of Lagos State. This was done in partnership with the Ikate Elegushi Primary Health Centre.
 
The club explained that aim of the exercise was to interrupt the circulation of poliovirus by immunising every child under five years of age with two doses of oral polio vaccine, regardless of previous immunisation status.
 
“The idea is to get children who are either not immunised or only partially protected, and to boost immunity in those who have been immunised. This way, every child in the most susceptible age group is protected against polio at the same time – instantly depriving the virus of the fertile seedbed on which its survival depends,” the President of the Rotary Club of Lekki Phase 1, Sina Elusakin, explained.
 
Elusakin led the immunisation teams that conducted the exercise. Others who participated included one of the 2021 Time Magazine 100 Most Influential Personalities in the world, Past District Governor of Rotary and Doyen of Rotary International District 9112, Dr. Tunji Funsho; the club’s Rotary Foundation Chair, Abiodun Owoeye; Polio Plus Chairman and President Nominee, Abiodun Jaiyeola; and Project Chair and incoming president, Comfort Anorue.
 
To encourage the children under the age of five to happily take the immunisation, the club provided materials such as sweets, biscuits, soft drinks, noodles, among others, to the children.
 
The club also handed over a substantial quantity of polio pluses to the Officer in Charge, Charity Omelihu, for distribution to other vaccination teams.
 
Elusakin commended the effort of Rotary International and all Rotarians all over the world for their commitment to ensure that polio is totally eradicated all over the world.
 
He was particularly proud that it was during the time of the Dr. Tunji Funsho as the Chairman of the Nigeria National Polio Plus Committee that Nigeria was certified a polio-free country

Elusakin noted further that Rotary has reduced poliovirus cases by 99.9 per cent worldwide and would not stop until the disease is totally eradicated.