From Ankeli Emmanuel, Sokoto
The Sultan of Sokoto and President General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Muahammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has appealed to parents in Northern Nigeria to bring their children out for the June cycle of the polio immunization.
Speaking through the District Head of Bodinga local government, AbdulRauf Bello, in his goodwill message during the flag-off of the June 2025 Outbreak Response Campaign on Immunization for Polio-Virus Type 2 (CVPV2) in Sokoto, the Sultan promised his support for any initiative geared towards ensuring the wellbeing and good health of the citizenry.
According to him, it cost less to prevent than to cure, hence he urged parents to accept and comply with the polio vaccination to allow for a world where no child suffers from polio.
Flagging off the National Immunization Day in the state, Governor Ahmed Aliyu, represented by his deputy, Mohammed Idris Gobir, thanked donor agencies for their efforts in healthcare service delivery in the state.
The governor, who noted that the state was making steady progress in both healthcare delivery and immunization, stressed that they weree also stepping up efforts to interrupt persistent transmission of circulating vaccine-derived polio-virus type 2 (cVPV2) in the state.
He appealed for continued collaboration to address not only the challange but also build a more resilient healthcare system.
Gobir said: “Let me assure that His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Sokoto State, Dr. Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto (FCNA) remains firmly committed to eradicating polio and strengthening primary healthcare services across the state.
“Polio remains a devastating disease that can lead to lifelong paralysis, but it is entirely preventable through timely and complete vaccination. The Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) is safe, effective, and provided free of charge. To ensure full protection, children must receive multiple doses—even if they have been previously vaccinated – they must receive another dose during this campaign”, Governor Ahmed Aliyu instructed.
In his welcome address, Chairman, Shagari local government, Maidawa Kajiji, represented by his deputy, Mansur Rafi, said flagging off the June round of 2025 polio in their domain was a great honour and a call to action for all of them, adding, they will ensure that all residents comply accordingly.
On his part, the state Commissioner of Health, Umar Faruk Abubakar, said all neccessary logistics for hitch-free excercise had been put in place.
In their respective goodwill messages, Dr Claude Kacil Monj the UNICEF SBC Polio Team Lead, and the Sokoto State Coodnator of World Health Organization, Dr Yusuf Mohammed Argungu as well as the representative of Bill Gates Foundation, Dr Shazad Banj, all expressed satisfaction with the development, adding they were committed to a world without polio, thus appealing to parents to ensure that their wards are immunized against killer diseases.
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