The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Bauchi State Government, has mobilised traditional rulers to drive massive 2025 polio vaccine uptake and compliance across the state.
During the monitoring of the polio vaccination exercise in Ningi Local Government Area on Saturday, the Chief of UNICEF’s Field Office in Bauchi, Nuzhat Rafique, commended the involvement of traditional rulers in championing the cause.
Represented by Eki George, UNICEF’s Social Behaviour Change Specialist, Rafique highlighted the critical role traditional institutions play in boosting polio vaccine compliance in Bauchi.
“It is a welcome development to see our royal fathers taking up the leadership role in leading our communities to do the right thing,” she said.
“We are indeed very grateful as we have sought for their roles in this campaign and here they are with us to ensure that our children are all vaccinated.”
She further appreciated the presence of the traditional rulers during the vaccination monitoring, noting that their involvement would help tackle non-compliance and drive higher vaccine uptake across Bauchi State.
“This is a campaign where we want to ensure that all the zero-dose children in the state receive the life-saving vaccine as well as ensure that the parents especially, fathers continuously give consent for their children to be vaccinated,” she added.
Rafique reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting all local government areas, communities, and the entire state in ensuring that every eligible child receives the polio vaccine — with the ultimate goal of eradicating polio from Bauchi State and Nigeria entirely.
Traditional Rulers Lead Fight Against Polio
Also speaking, the Emir of Dass, Usman Bilyaminu, stressed the dedication of traditional institutions to ensuring complete polio eradication in Bauchi.
Bilyaminu, who serves as the Chairman of the Bauchi State Emirate Councils Committee on Health, emphasized that traditional rulers would spearhead the mobilisation of communities — particularly those known for vaccine resistance.
“There are many communities here that are very known for non-compliance of the polio vaccine, and that is why I and the Emir of Ningi have decided to visit the communities by ourselves,” he said.
“We are here to sensitise the people of these communities to ensure that the health workers can be able to access each and every household to be able to vaccinate all the eligible children in these communities.”
The Emir explained that collaborations with some Malams and Imams who previously resisted polio vaccination had yielded positive results.
“It’s a very good effort, and In-Sha-Allah, we are going to see successes because the issue of resistance is now being taken care of.”
“Even those Imams that were resisting to some extent before are now with us, and one of them just did a symbolic vaccination of some children,” he added.
Emir of Ningi Pledges Stronger Enforcement
On his part, the Emir of Ningi, Haruna Danyaya, who oversees the Gadar Maiwa community — where the polio campaign was officially launched — pledged strict monitoring of areas previously marked for non-compliance.
He issued a stern warning:
“It has been more than a decade since we have been into this struggle.”
“Finding health for our people is non-negotiable. It is a must-do, and every hand must be committed,” he stated.
The intensified efforts by UNICEF, Bauchi State authorities, and traditional rulers aim to eliminate polio once and for all, protecting every child’s future health.