UNICEF has raised alarm over Nigeria’s immunisation gap, identifying the country as having the highest number of children who have never received a single routine vaccine.
The disclosure was made by Wafaa Saeed during the official launch of the Republic of Korea–UNICEF Investment in Routine Immunisation programme, held on April 16, 2026, in Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State.
According to Saeed, an estimated 2.2 million Nigerian children fall into the “zero-dose” category—those who have not received any routine immunisation. She emphasised that the figure represents more than just statistics, describing the children as individuals living in underserved environments such as fragile urban settlements, border communities, conflict-affected areas, and other hard-to-reach locations where access to essential services remains limited.
“Today’s event is more than a launch. It is a shared political and moral commitment to the right of every Nigerian child to life-saving vaccines, regardless of where they are born or live.
“This burden is not a failure of science. Vaccines work. Rather, it reflects enduring challenges related to equity, access, and service reach, and this is why political leadership and strong partnerships are really possible.
“UNICEF is deeply grateful to the Government of the Republic of Korea for its leadership and solidarity. Through this partnership, Korea has demonstrated a clear understanding that global health security begins by reaching those who are most excluded.
“Nigeria’s inclusion in this investment reflects both the scale of the need and the confidence in Nigeria’s systems and capacity to deliver results.
“This investment is about strengthening existing national and sub-national systems, supporting government efforts to extend routine immunisation services, strengthen primary health care, rebuild trust, and ensure that vaccines consistently reach every child, especially those who have historically been left behind.
“Lagos State, and Badagry Local Government Area in particular, illustrate this challenge clearly. Even in areas experiencing growth and opportunity, pockets of exclusion persist.
“Reaching zero-dose children here sends a strong national signal, equity is not optional; it is foundational to sustainable development and stability”, he said.
Saeed noted that UNICEF will continue to support Nigeria by leveraging its global expertise, operational reach, and community engagement to ensure that national commitments translate into real outcomes at the grassroots level.
She also commended the Federal Government, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and state health institutions for prioritising zero-dose children through targeted interventions in high-burden communities.
In his remarks, Lee Sang Ho, Consul General of the Korean Embassy in Lagos, explained that the programme is part of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) Investments Project, implemented through the UNICEF–Republic of Korea partnership.
He revealed that the Republic of Korea committed $70 million to the initiative over three years, with funding distributed across multiple countries. Nigeria is set to receive $5.6 million from the 2025–2026 funding cycle to support immunisation efforts over a one-year period.
“The purpose for funding this project is to ensure that cases of zero-dose vaccination in children are reduced in selected targeted areas comprising a total of 40 Local Government Areas in five states which are Lagos, Ogun, Niger, Bauchi, Adamawa and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
“The choice of Nigeria is strategic because Nigeria records a high volume of children with little or zero-dose Immunization, which poses great danger to global health security”, he added.
