Nigeria has the highest number of unvaccinated children globally – UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday said Nigeria currently bears the highest burden of unvaccinated children globally.

A Health Officer at UNICEF, Bashir Elegbede, disclosed this during a one-day media dialogue in Damaturu, Yobe State, to commemorate the 2025 World Immunisation Week.

According to Mr Elegbede, about 2.1 million Nigerian children—representing 24 per cent of the estimated 8.7 million under-one population—have not received a single routine vaccine dose.

He said these children are referred to as “zero-dose” (ZD) children because they have not received any vaccine according to the national routine immunisation schedule.

The global target, he noted, is to reduce the number of zero-dose children by 25 per cent by 2025 and 50 per cent by 2030.

“The under-one population in Nigeria is estimated at 8.7 million, with 2.1 million of them (24 per cent) classified as zero-dose children,” he said.

“This highlights that Nigeria bears the highest global burden of zero-dose children. Reducing the number of zero-dose children—those who have not received any routine vaccination, is crucial for improving public health outcomes in Nigeria.”

Mr Elegbede noted that these children are mostly found in locations affected by conflict, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as in hard-to-reach areas, urban slums, and communities with weak health systems.

Importance of vaccination

Mr Elegbede added that unvaccinated children face a higher risk of contracting and dying from vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio, measles, meningitis, yellow fever, and viral hepatitis.

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He stressed that vaccines are essential to protecting children’s health and development.

“Across the world, millions of lives have been saved by vaccines,” he said.

“Sadly, Nigeria has the highest burden of zero-dose children globally, with Borno and Yobe states recording a disproportionate number.”

He noted that UNICEF and other health sector stakeholders are supporting the Nigerian government in strengthening routine immunisation and improving health systems across the country.

Yobe and Borno interventions

In 2024, UNICEF supported Yobe State in vaccinating about 20,000 zero-dose children with the pentavalent vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type B.

Mr Elegbede said volunteer community mobilisers working with UNICEF have also helped reduce non-compliance to immunisation to less than one per cent across settlements in Yobe.

In Borno State, he said, 145,000 zero-dose children have been reached with vaccines, while an additional 165,000 children across the North-east were targeted in the Big Catch-Up campaign conducted in March and April 2025.

“Of this number, 138,000 children—representing 95 per cent—were successfully vaccinated during the BCU conducted in March. The third phase of the campaign is expected to conclude this April,” he said.

Traditional leaders pledge support

Also speaking at the event, the Emir of Damaturu, Shehu Hashimi II Ibn Umar Al-Amin El-Kanemi, commended UNICEF’s efforts in reducing the number of unvaccinated children in Nigeria.

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Represented by the Waziri of Damaturu, Maisanda Lawan, the Emir pledged continued support for the vaccination drive across the state.

“The Emir remains committed to this cause and will continue to ensure that vaccines reach every community,” he said.

World Immunisation Week is commemorated annually from 24-30 April to raise awareness about the importance of vaccines and to increase access to immunisation services worldwide.

Under the theme “Immunisation for all is humanly possible”, the World Health Organisation said this year’s campaign stresses how, with collective efforts and investment, everyone can be protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.