The Budget Office of the Federation and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), in collaboration with the World Bank, Gavi, Results for Development (R4D), and the Vaccine Network for Disease Control, have jointly launched the Immunization Financing Policy Roundtable Series to address the pressing challenges facing vaccine financing in Nigeria.
The inaugural session, which took place on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at Lake Greenfield Hotel in Abuja, focused on the theme “Sustainable Vaccine Financing in Nigeria’s Federal Arrangement.” The event brought together policymakers, development partners, and health sector stakeholders to devise innovative and sustainable domestic financing solutions for immunization.
In a statement signed by the Director-General of the Budget Office, Mr. Tanimu Yakubu, the roundtable is part of ongoing efforts under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), which was launched in December 2023 to reform the health sector and ensure steady funding for essential health services, including immunization.
Despite efforts made so far, the immunization coverage in Nigeria remains low, with only 59% of children aged 12 to 23 months fully immunized—well below the 90% target set by the World Health Organization. Over 3.1 million children remain completely unvaccinated. This gap, according to experts at the roundtable, underscores the urgent need for a resilient and inclusive vaccine financing structure across Nigeria’s federated system.
Speakers emphasized the need to shift away from heavy reliance on international donors, which exposes immunization programmes to fiscal uncertainties. They called for a robust, domestically driven funding strategy that integrates immunization into broader health sector planning and harnesses both national and subnational resources.
Participants also examined global models from countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Rwanda, and Ethiopia, where mechanisms like National Immunization Funds, earmarked taxes, and performance-based financing have successfully strengthened vaccine access and accountability.
The roundtable aimed to develop actionable steps for establishing a multi-tiered vaccine financing framework that will enhance accountability, resilience, and long-term immunization coverage in Nigeria.
The statement urged all relevant stakeholders to commit to transformative reforms in health financing, ensuring that every Nigerian child has access to life-saving vaccines as a fundamental right.
