Nigeria Records Significant Drop In Kano, Katsina Polio Cases

Nigeria has made significant progress in its fight against circulating poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2), with Kano and Katsina States posting the most notable declines this year, the National Economic Council (NEC) has said.

At its 154th meeting held virtually and chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the council received a presentation from its Ad-Hoc Committee on Polio Eradication, led by Gombe State governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya.

The report showed that Kano achieved a 94 per cent drop in cVPV2 cases compared to 2024, while Katsina recorded an 88 per cent reduction over the same period.

According to the council, Nigeria had logged 73 cVPV2 cases as of Week 47, representing a 39 per cent decline from the 119 cases recorded during the corresponding period last year.

Six priority states—Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Gombe, Kano and Katsina—accounted for 63 per cent of the total cases, with Sokoto recording the highest burden at 23 cases.

The committee, however, warned that new detections continue to emerge, listing 13 fresh cases—12 cVPV2 and one cVPV3—found across several states. Gombe detected its first cases this year in Dukku LGA (via Acute Flaccid Paralysis surveillance) and in Gombe LGA (through environmental sampling).
Kebbi, Sokoto, Jigawa, Nasarawa and Zamfara also confirmed new detections, prompting calls for intensified action.

On vaccination efforts, NEC said the recent first phase of the integrated Measles–Rubella, HPV and Polio campaign was conducted across 20 northern states and Oyo State.

The exercise reached 83 per cent of planned settlements with geo-evidence, while 92 per cent and 95 per cent of targeted children received the MR and polio vaccines, respectively. Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) results showed an 85 per cent pass rate for MR and 86 per cent for polio.

Among the six priority states, Kano, Katsina and Gombe passed the LQAS threshold, indicating strong campaign quality. Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara, however, fell below the 80 per cent benchmark, resulting in targeted revaccination in affected local government areas.

NEC also approved a new round of nOPV2 campaigns scheduled to begin this December. The exercise will run in two blocs: Bloc A (12 northern states), including Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara, Bloc B (nine northern states), including Gombe.

The council emphasised that this December round is critical to closing immunity gaps before the end of the year.

To strengthen implementation, NEC urged deputy governors in affected states to convene immediate task force meetings ahead of the campaign.

State governments were also encouraged to work closely with security agencies to ensure safe access for vaccination teams, especially in communities affected by insecurity or hard-to-reach terrain.

Local government chairmen were directed to personally chair daily Evening Review Meetings to track performance and resolve operational bottlenecks in real time.