Kano Targets 3 Million Children as Polio Vaccination Campaign Begins November 7

By Ladan Nasidi,Kano

The Kano State Government has targeted 3,024,026 children under the age of five for the November 2026 polio immunisation campaign across 30 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

The campaign, scheduled to run from November 7 to 10, 2026, is aimed at strengthening immunisation coverage and preventing the spread of poliovirus following reports of a fresh outbreak in Kumbotso Local Government Area.

As part of preparations for the exercise, the Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Board, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), organised a one-day media conference to mobilise journalists, social media influencers and U-Reporters for effective public awareness and community engagement.

The conference, themed “Media Dialogue with Journalists, Social Media Influencers and U-Reporters for November 2026 Sub-National Immunisation Plus Days (SNIPDs),” focused on strengthening media participation and promoting public acceptance of the vaccination exercise.

Speaking at the event, the Head of the Public Enlightenment Unit of the Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Board, Dr. Rabiu Ibrahim, said the state had recorded considerable improvements in polio immunisation compared with previous years.

He disclosed that more than three million doses of oral polio vaccines had already been made available to ensure the successful implementation of the campaign.

According to him, trained vaccination teams will conduct house-to-house visits across the 30 LGAs to administer two drops of the oral polio vaccine to every eligible child under five.

He added that temporary vaccination centres would also be established at ward heads’ residences to improve access to the vaccines and ensure wider coverage.

Dr. Ibrahim further explained that immunisation teams would visit schools in collaboration with school authorities to identify and vaccinate eligible children who might have missed previous vaccination exercises.

He urged journalists, social media influencers and U-Reporters to intensify public enlightenment efforts by disseminating accurate information about the campaign and encouraging parents and caregivers to make their children available for vaccination.

The health official also stressed the need for religious leaders to be actively involved in the exercise, noting that their influence would help address misconceptions, build public confidence and encourage greater community participation.

He maintained that effective collaboration among healthcare workers, media practitioners, religious institutions and community stakeholders remained critical to achieving the campaign’s objectives.

The November 2026 Sub-National Immunisation Plus Days will take place from November 7 to 10 across the designated 30 Local Government Areas of Kano State.

The Board expressed optimism that the combined efforts of government agencies, development partners, the media and community leaders would significantly improve vaccination coverage and support Nigeria’s efforts towards the complete eradication of poliovirus.