The Chief of UNICEF Field Office in Kano, Rahama Farah, has called for sustained commitment and enhanced accountability as Kano State approaches what he described as a “decisive December goal” to eradicate polio in Nigeria.
Speaking at the Kano State Immunization Task Force Committee meeting in Kano, Farah revealed encouraging epidemiological data showing only three polio cases recorded from three local government areas in 2025, compared to 31 cases from 17 local government areas in 2024, representing a dramatic 90% reduction.
“This substantial progress is a direct result of leadership dedication and the strength of our partnership,” he said.
Read also:
- UNICEF recommits to addressing social protection issues in Nigeria
- Canada, UK, UNICEF hand over 55 climate-resilient facilities to Kano State Government
- UNICEF tasks journalists on ethical reportage of children’s issues
However, the UNICEF chief emphasized that the progress should not breed complacency, stressing that the upcoming October immunization campaign’s quality is “non-negotiable” for maintaining momentum toward polio eradication.
Farah identified three critical requirements for the October campaign’s success, which include the timely release of state and local government counterpart funds, strengthening financial and operational accountability, and deployment of senior government supervisors to support field teams.
He also stressed the need to address coverage gaps as revealed in recent data analysis, noting that while the E-Tally system showed 88% coverage of targeted children during the first cycle of the integrated biological risk assessment, it fell short of the 95% threshold needed for effective herd immunity.
“Any coverage less than 95% is not sufficient to build the immunity wall we need,” Farah warned, noting discrepancies between E-Tally data and the 97% coverage reported on call-in sheets.
“To support the final push, UNICEF has deployed an extensive network including eight state facilitators, 44 local government areas facilitators, 246 voluntary ward supervisors, and over 2,400 village community mobilizers.
“The organization has also provided 400 MP3 Bluetooth speakers with pre-loaded content for community engagement,” he maintained.
While commending the state deputy governor for personally flagging off recent campaigns and urging a sustained high-level political commitment for the October round, Farah said,
“We have the strategy, resources, and evidence that our work is paying off. Now we need precision, accountability, and unwavering commitment,” he concluded.
