•Targets 109 million for immunisation

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The federal government on Wednesday formally received 1,653 Solar Direct Drive cold-chain Refrigerators meant to enhance the country’s immunisation effort.
Speaking at a brief ceremony to mark delivery of the refrigerators in Abuja, Executive Secretary of National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Muyi Aina, said the deployment of the refrigerators will assist in filling gaps created by zero immunisation children. Aina said it would further the cause of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and his plan to deliver high quality primary healthcare services for all Nigerians.
He said the delivery marked a crucial move towards enhancing Nigeria’s immunisation infrastructure.
Aina disclosed that of the 1,653 refrigerators, 1,241 will be of the brand B-medical while the remaining 412 will be of the brand B plus. He said they were selected through a rigorous process built on experience with equipment spread across the country.
Aina stated, “In addition to these 1,653 units, we’re also getting spare parts. One of the things we’re very mindful of is we don’t want to procure equipment that will function for a couple of years and pack up.
“So, we have 165 pieces of spare parts and we have 10 years of maintenance agreements, plant preventive maintenance by the vendor who is supplying this.”
Aina disclosed that the agency will be commencing a special routine immunisation initiative in October. He added that the acquisition of the solar-powered refrigerator will help drive the government’s commitment to leaving no one behind in vaccine equity and health justice.
He explained that all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will receive some of the equipment.
According to Aina, “Just to summarise, 448 units will be going to states in the North-west Zone. The North-central Zone will receive 308 units.
“The North-east Zone 128. The South-east Zone will receive 205 units. The South-west Zone will receive 343 units.
“The South-south Zone will receive 221 units of these solar direct drive refrigerators that will be in the facilities. In all, 884 units or 53 per cent, just over half of these devices, will go to states in northern Nigeria. While 769 or 47 per cent will go to states in southern Nigeria.”
The NPHCDA boss said the agency will be implementing an integrated campaign of measles, rubella immunisation kicking off in October.
He said, “Integrated with polio, integrated with nutrition entities and a few other interventions in different countries. And I will seize the opportunity to encourage Nigerians to work with us, to be on the lookout.”
According to Aina, the target is to reach 109 million young Nigerians between zero to 14 years with different vaccines as part of the campaign.
In his remarks, World Health Organisation (WHO) representative, Dr. Alex Dasasira, said the handover ceremony of the Solar Direct Drive Refrigerator to NPHCDA marked a pivotal step towards enhancing Nigeria’s immunisation infrastructure.
He said the initiative aligned with international strategic priorities, particularly those outlined in the immunisation agenda of 2030, which advocates for equitable access to vaccines, sustainable cold chain systems, and integration with primary health care.
UNICEF Chief of Health, Dr. Maharajan Muthu, who represented UNICEF representative in Nigeria, said GAVI and core alliance partners, including WHO and UNICEF jointly with National Primary Health Care Development Agency embarked on the initiative to strengthen the coal chain systems.
“We provided technical support in analytics, identification of coal chain needs, procurement and delivery of state of art equipment,” he said

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