In a broadcast shared on his official X handle on Sunday, the minister said the federal government had administered more than 25 million doses of measles vaccines and 22 million yellow fever vaccinations under the current administration. He described the figures as evidence of expanding immunisation coverage and strengthened disease prevention efforts across the country.
Beyond measles and yellow fever, Pate disclosed that five million children had received the pentavalent vaccine, while over 10 million Nigerians were vaccinated against tetanus and diphtheria as part of the nationwide response to recent diphtheria outbreaks. He added that more than one million vaccine doses from the Gavi-funded global stockpile were deployed to curb meningitis outbreaks, particularly in northern Nigeria.
Malaria Vaccine Marks Historic Milestone
The minister highlighted the introduction of Nigeria’s first-ever malaria vaccine as a major public health breakthrough. Nigeria currently bears the world’s highest malaria burden, accounting for about 39.3 per cent of malaria-related deaths among children under five.
According to Pate, the rollout of the R21 Matrix-M malaria vaccine began in Bayelsa and Kebbi states, with Kebbi alone targeting nearly 180,000 children aged between five and 15 months. He said Nigeria had so far received one million doses of the vaccine, including 846,200 doses supplied by Gavi and 153,800 doses financed by the federal government, with plans underway to expand coverage to more states.
Growing Role in Global Health Financing
Pate said Nigeria is increasingly being recognised not only for its disease burden but also for its leadership in domestic resource mobilisation and global disease control. He revealed that in 2025, the federal government committed 54 million dollars in domestic resources to the global fight against tuberculosis.
He added that Nigeria emerged as the largest African contributor to the Global Fund, a development announced at the most recent G20 meeting in Johannesburg. According to him, sustained increases in health sector financing at federal and subnational levels have strengthened global confidence in Nigeria’s health system reforms.
Progress in Cervical Cancer Prevention
The minister also drew attention to Nigeria’s cervical cancer elimination drive, noting that although about 12,000 Nigerian women are diagnosed annually, the disease is largely preventable through early vaccination against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).
Since the launch of the HPV vaccination programme in October 2023 across 15 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Pate said more than 14 million girls aged nine to 14 years had been vaccinated, representing over 90 per cent coverage of the target population.
Increased Funding and Service Utilisation
According to Pate, these achievements reflect deliberate reforms in the health sector and improved coordination through the Sector Wide Approach, which aligns federal and state governments with development partners and non-governmental organisations.
He disclosed that formal approval had recently been granted for an additional ₦68 billion for vaccine financing and related needs, with the funds lodged at the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and scheduled for release.
The minister linked the progress to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, saying the administration’s priorities extend beyond economic reform and infrastructure to focus on the wellbeing of Nigerians.
He noted a sharp rise in health service utilisation nationwide, citing data showing that hospital visits increased from about 10 million in the second quarter of 2024 to more than 45 million by the second quarter of 2025.
According to him, the increase reflects improved access to essential services, especially immunisation, among Nigeria’s largely youthful population, which had previously been affected by misinformation, distrust and limited access to care.
Pate reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to ensuring that preventable diseases and avoidable deaths no longer limit Nigerians’ ability to live healthy, productive and dignified lives.