Kano State, together with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and UNICEF, has announced that nearly 3.9m children will be targeted in the November polio vaccination campaign, which begins on Saturday, 29th November 2025.
The announcement was made during a media dialogue held on Monday.
Nasir Kabir, Coordinator, Social Behavioral Change, SBC said that the campaign will focus on children aged 0 to 59 months.
“From birth to five years, every eligible child will be vaccinated. We are targeting 3,928,313 children for the campaign.
We are doing this to protect them from poliomyelitis and to continue our fight against the variant polio virus, CDPV2.”
Kabir explained that the exercise will run for four days, and will cover all the 484 wards across Kano’s 44 local government areas using a house-to-house strategy as well as fixed posts in key places such as mosques, churches, markets schools and health facilities.
Speaking at the event, the Chief of the UNICEF Kano Field Office, Rahama Rihhood Farah, said the upcoming campaign in Nigeria will target about 42 million children across 21 priority states.
“The exercise will be carried out in two phases from November 29 to December 9, 2025, with Kano, in Block A, conducting its vaccinations from November 29 to December 2.”
According to him, Kano has achieved more than 80% reduction in polio cases compared to last year.
“This is remarkable, but we must not relax, the virus is still spreading in other states.”
According to UNICEF, 72 cases of circulating variant polio have been confirmed across 49 LGAs in 14 states nationwide this year.
“Even with the progress made, polio can return if we allow gaps. We must continue to vaccinate every child,” he said.
“For this round, Kano state has deployed 6,723 vaccination teams, supported by more than 4 million doses of vaccines. Another 2,424 special teams will operate in crowded areas such as markets and streets.
“Routine immunisation and nutrition services, including vitamin A, deworming tablets, and support for pregnant women will also be provided at selected health facilities,” he added.
UNICEF further called on LGA chairpersons to take personal responsibility for supervising the campaign.
Also speaking, the NPHCDA, Zonal Director for the North-West, Dr. Kabiru Muhammed, said youth and social influencers play a crucial role in shaping public opinion and correcting false information.
Dr. Muhammed, represented by the Kano State Coordinator of NPHCDA, Maryam Umar, said that the media plays a key role in sharing accurate information and building trust.
She added that when journalists encourage parents, it boosts their confidence to bring their children for vaccination.
He called on influencers to use their platforms to explain the safety and importance of the polio vaccine, encourage parents and caregivers to allow their children to be immunised, and promote positive health behaviours in their communities.
“We count on your support to share accurate information, counter rumours, and help mobilise your communities. With your creativity and influence, we can build stronger and healthier communities where no child is left behind,” he added.