Former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and current Chairman of the Board of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe, has urged the Federal Government to place vaccine financing at the heart of Nigeria’s health investment strategy, warning that the country risks raising a weak and vulnerable generation if it fails to act decisively.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on World Health Day 2025, Oloriegbe emphasized the urgent need for Nigeria to transition from mere policy rhetoric to actual local vaccine production. He called for the engagement of the pharmaceutical sector and strategic incentives for private sector participation in immunization financing, especially as global donor support continues to wane. “We must take ownership of our vaccine future through consistent and predictable domestic funding,” he declared.
Oloriegbe highlighted the devastating impact of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and bacterial meningitis, which continue to resurface due to gaps in immunization coverage, particularly among zero-dose children. “Many of us are alive today because we received vaccines as children,” he said. “Immunization is one of the most cost-effective public health tools we have, and investing in vaccines today means we spend less on treating preventable outbreaks tomorrow.” He further noted that the proposed N1 trillion investment in primary healthcare must include a robust immunization component to secure a healthy and economically productive future generation.
