The Lagos State Children’s Parliament has urged the state government and health partners to intensify polio vaccination, particularly in riverine and underserved communities, to protect children against the disease.
The call was made at the State House of Assemby during a parliamentary sitting organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development in collaboration with Save the Children International in commemoration of the World Polio Day 2026, with the theme: “One Day. One Focus: Ending Polio”
The Speaker of the 7th Assembly of the Lagos State Children’s Parliament, Abdussalam Anjo-Oluwa Abdussalam, said the sitting aimed to strengthen efforts to sustain a polio-free Lagos by ensuring that every eligible child receives immunisation.
“We understand that Lagos State has been doing excellently well, but we want to intensify those efforts and make sure that immunisation reaches every nook and cranny of the state,” he said.
The Director of Immunisation at the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, Dr Olubunmi Akinade, said Nigeria’s removal from the list of countries endemic for wild poliovirus in 2020 did not mean the fight was over, as vaccine-derived poliovirus remained a concern.
She said vaccines were available free of charge at public primary healthcare centres, urging parents and caregivers to ensure that their children received routine immunisation from birth.
Folake Kuti of Save the Children International said the organisation’s BOOST Project, launched in 2024, focused on reducing the number of zero-dose and under-immunised children aged zero to five years. She called for increased government funding and urged children to educate their peers and families about the importance of vaccination.
On her part, Rotarian Saudat Adenike Abdelaziz, representing the Chairman of the Nigerian National PolioPlus Committee, said the global eradication campaign had made significant progress since its launch in 1988, with Afghanistan and Pakistan remaining the only countries where wild poliovirus is endemic.
She urged the young parliamentarians to take the immunisation message to their homes, schools and communities, stressing the need to sustain vaccination efforts.
“Polio anywhere is polio everywhere,” she said.
The participants emphasised that closing immunisation gaps and maintaining public awareness were essential to protecting children and preventing the resurgence of polio in Nigeria.
