The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has inaugurated a reformed National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) dedicated to polio eradication, marking a significant step in Nigeria’s ongoing fight against the disease.
Dr Muyi Aina, Executive Director and CEO of NPHCDA, told reporters on Friday in Abuja that the initiative represents more than just a structural reset. He described it as a demonstration of dedication by stakeholders united in the mission to eradicate polio in Nigeria.
Highlighting a renewed focus on accountability and results, Aina urged partners and institutions to prioritize action, data, and evidence over routine meetings.
“To every partner, institution, and individual, your role is crucial. This is about all of us. The work starts now. Let’s chase down every poliovirus, together,” he said.
Aina explained that the restructured NEOC is expected to streamline coordination among government agencies, international partners, and local stakeholders, strengthening surveillance, vaccination campaigns, and outbreak response efforts across the country.
Health experts noted that the move comes at a critical time, as Nigeria continues to battle sporadic polio cases. The renewed emphasis on collaboration and data-driven interventions aims to finally achieve a polio-free Nigeria.
Nigeria has been at the centre of global polio eradication efforts for decades. Poliomyelitis, a highly infectious virus that can cause paralysis—mainly in children—once affected large parts of the country. At its peak, Nigeria accounted for a significant proportion of the world’s polio cases, with transmission in northern Nigeria contributing to outbreaks across West Africa in the early 2000s.
Decades of coordinated vaccination campaigns and surveillance drastically reduced wild polio virus transmission. In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) removed Nigeria from the list of polio-endemic countries after the country went more than a year without a wild polio case. In 2020, Nigeria and the entire African region were certified free of wild poliovirus, marking a historic public health milestone.
However, the battle has not been fully won. Although wild poliovirus has been stopped, circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2)—a rare form of the virus that can emerge in under-immunised populations—has continued to cause cases in parts of the country.
Epidemiological data from 2024 and 2025 showed persistent cVDPV2 cases across several states, although overall numbers declined by around 40 per cent compared to the previous year.
With support from WHO and partners, Nigeria is intensifying surveillance and response efforts to ensure rapid detection of any virus circulation and to close vaccination gaps. This approach aligns with the Polio Eradication Roadmap 2022–2026, which seeks to end all forms of poliovirus in the country through strengthened detection systems and targeted vaccination campaigns.
The reformed NEOC initiative is therefore timely, aiming to build on past gains while addressing remaining challenges through improved coordination, data-driven action, and stronger accountability among stakeholders.
