Posted on: Wed 30-04-2025

UNICEF is sounding the alarm, and it’s a call that demands more than passive listening — it demands action. As Nigeria faces a troubling resurgence of polio, particularly in Lagos State, the global child welfare agency is urging political leaders, community influencers, and every citizen to act decisively in protecting the nation’s children.

Speaking during the World Immunisation Week and Polio Awareness Walk, themed ‘Humanly Possible: Saving Lives through Immunisation’, Celine Lafoucriere, Chief of UNICEF Lagos Field Office, didn’t mince words. With over two million Nigerian children still unvaccinated, and polio once again threatening lives in the region, the message is clear: we cannot afford complacency.

“Routine immunisation is our best bet,” Lafoucriere insisted — and she’s right. While the oral polio vaccine has prevented 24 million cases of paralysis globally, and immunisation overall has saved over 150 million lives since 1974, those gains are now under threat. Poor sanitation, malnutrition, and dangerously low vaccine coverage are creating the perfect storm for a comeback of a disease once nearly eradicated.

This isn’t just about access — it’s about belief. According to Lafoucriere, “everybody is aware. Does everybody truly believe in the validity of vaccines? I don’t think so.” That honest assessment highlights a deeper crisis: one of trust. Without it, misinformation festers, and vaccine hesitancy grows.

Dr. Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, First Lady of Lagos State, added a rallying cry that deserves to be echoed in every community: “Immunisation is not a privilege; it is a right.” Her challenge to all of us? Pledge that no child in Lagos will suffer from a preventable disease. Reach the unreached. End polio — for good.

This May, health teams will take to the streets, schools, markets, and religious centers to provide children aged 0 to 59 months with the Oral Polio Vaccine — free of charge. But vaccination alone won’t win this battle. What’s needed is a coalition of belief and action — from parents and caregivers to traditional rulers and civil society.

WHO Lagos Coordinator Chinenye Okafor underscored the urgency of reaching underserved communities — places where health workers are few or non-existent. Her words are a sobering reminder: some children are still being left behind.

There’s no denying the progress made — but progress isn’t the finish line. The fight against polio and other preventable diseases is far from over. It’s time for leaders to lead, for communities to mobilise, and for every citizen to ask: What am I doing to protect the children around me?

Because in the end, safeguarding every child’s health isn't just possible — it's humanly possible.

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