Civil society organizations (CSOs) advocating for child health have urged the Federal Government to immediately release N231 billion earmarked for vaccines in the 2025 budget, alongside N87 billion outstanding from 2024.
The appeal was made on Thursday in Abuja during a joint media conference by the Vaccine Network for Disease Control (VNDC), Women Advocates for Vaccine Access (WAVA), Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), and other partners.
The groups warned that delays in disbursing immunization funds were pushing the country toward a national emergency, with an imminent risk of vaccine stockouts that could leave millions of Nigerian children unprotected.
Mrs Chika Offor, Executive Director of VNDC, said Nigeria is “standing at a dangerous crossroads” and risked losing decades of immunisation progress if funds remained unreleased.
“The truth is stark and painful: a vaccine stockout is imminent if we do not release pending funds now. Time is running out, and so are our vaccine supplies,” Offor said.
She also cautioned that failure to meet Gavi co-financing obligations could suspend financial support, including $110 million already approved, jeopardizing Nigeria’s eligibility for further assistance from 2028.
Dr Muhammed Lecky, Chairperson of the Health Sector Reform Coalition, noted that health allocations remain unreleased even as the year nears its end.
“Funds appropriated to the Ministry of Health are yet to be released. If not now in November, then when?” he asked.
He added that shortfalls in donor support and unreleased budgeted funds had already disrupted the national immunization programme. Lecky urged the Ministry of Finance to prioritize health by releasing all 2024 and 2025 allocations to prevent outbreaks and reduce long-term healthcare costs.
Dr Chizoba Wonodi, Convener of WAVA, appealed for immediate action, saying children should be placed “first in line” for vaccine funding.
“Diseases cannot wait. Our children cannot wait,” Wonodi said, calling on the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, a “proven champion of health,” to intervene. She warned against situations where mothers travel long distances only to find vaccines unavailable.
The CSOs pledged to support transparency and accountability in the use of the funds once released, reaffirming that immunization remains one of the most cost-effective public health interventions and stressing that every day of delay increases the risk of deadly outbreaks.
