The Emir of Dutse in Jigawa State, Alhaji Hameen Nuhu Muhammadu Sunusi, has charged parents to embrace Polio Eradication Vaccination amongst other routine immunizations for sustainable child survival.
Speaking at the launch of the polio vaccination campaign in Jiba village, organized by UNICEF in partnership with the Jigawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (PHCDA), the Emir reassured rural communities that the polio vaccine is not only safe but a critical lifeline for their children.
“We will never bring you anything that will harm you,” he said. “Without you, there is no us. You are our pride. Everything we do is for your protection and wellbeing.
“As public custodians, we won’t bring harmful vaccines which will harm both your health and that of your wards. Therefore, I assure you of the safety of immunization treatments, polio vaccination inclusive, amongst other forms of routine immunizations.”
Sunusi, who was supported by the Dutse LGA Chairman, Alh. Sibu Abdullahi, officials of the Jigawa State Primary Health Experts and that of UNICEF, emphasized for parents to embrace health facilities in their doorsteps in accessing medical treatments to acquire prompt health services at all times for a sustainable healthy life.
Recalling the example of his late father, the revered Emir Sanusi, he shared a powerful memory: “When immunization campaigns began, my father used his own grandchildren—including me—to show the safety of vaccines. If it were harmful, would he have risked the lives of his own blood?”
The Emir challenged long-standing myths, including fears that vaccines could affect fertility, pointing to the thriving communities and newborns in their arms today as living proof that those fears were unfounded.
Meanwhile, Director of the PHCDA, Dr. Hassan Shuaibu Kwalam, stressed the critical importance of the campaign.
Despite Nigeria’s 2013 certification as polio-free, new variants of the virus have emerged, threatening to undo years of progress.
“This campaign aims to close every gap,” Dr. Kwalam said. “We are targeting two million children under the age of five across all 27 LGAs within just four days. It is a race against time.”
To address longstanding healthcare access issues, Dutse Local Government Chairman, Dr. Sibu Abdullahi, announced the construction of five new primary healthcare centers this year.
Jiba village, once a hotspot of vaccine resistance, now celebrates the opening of its first health post—a direct response to community demands.
In a stark reminder of the stakes, UNICEF’s Chief Field Officer, Dr. Lukman Abdulsalam, revealed that 18 polio cases have already been reported in 2025 across nine states, with two cases in Jigawa’s Hadejia and Sule Tankarkar LGAs.
“This is unacceptable,” Dr. Lukman warned. “Polio anywhere is a threat everywhere. We are so close to eradicating this disease, but we must not falter.”
Dr. Lukman called for urgent action, urging the Jigawa State Government to declare a State of Emergency on Polio and Routine Immunization, and for local governments to immediately release counterpart funding to ensure no child is left behind.
