By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Federal Government has secured a five-year support package estimated at $500 million from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in a major boost to Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen routine immunisation, vaccine delivery and primary healthcare.
The package was announced on Friday, 31 July, 2026 during a meeting in Abuja between the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Dr Sania Nishtar, who led a high-level delegation to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
Pate described the proposed support as a strong vote of confidence in Nigeria’s ongoing health sector reforms and a significant boost to expanding access to life-saving vaccines and improving health outcomes.
“The proposed support of almost US$500 million over the next five years speaks volumes. It gives us greater momentum to strengthen domestic financing, secure vaccines and ensure they reach every Nigerian child,” he said.
The Coordinating Minister noted that since Nishtar’s last visit in 2023, quarterly utilisation of Primary Healthcare Centres had increased from about 10 million visits to more than 40 million, alongside the revitalisation of thousands of PHCs, improvements in routine immunisation and maternal and child health services, and the successful implementation of the world’s largest measles-rubella vaccination campaign, which protected more than 102 million Nigerian children.
Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary welcomed the Gavi delegation and described the visit as another milestone in the longstanding partnership between Nigeria and the Vaccine Alliance.
She reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to providing the leadership, coordination and stewardship required to translate the partnership into stronger immunisation systems, improved primary healthcare and better health outcomes for Nigerians.
In her remarks, Nishtar described Nigeria as Gavi’s second-largest country portfolio globally and its largest co-financing partner.
She announced an upward review of Nigeria’s vaccine and cash allocation, alongside reduced co-financing obligations to provide greater fiscal flexibility, adding that reforms under the Gavi 6.0 strategy, including simplified processes, decentralised decision-making, digitised grant management and predictable five-year vaccine budgets, were informed by feedback from her 2023 visit to Nigeria.
“Gavi is here to signal that we are there for you. While many global health institutions are reducing their footprint, we will continue supporting Nigeria’s immunisation programme,” she said.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining progress in routine immunisation, accelerating polio eradication, expanding HPV vaccination, strengthening primary healthcare and increasing domestic investment to ensure every Nigerian child has access to life-saving vaccines and quality healthcare services.
The renewed partnership reinforces global confidence in Nigeria’s health sector reform agenda and underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to building resilient, equitable and sustainable health systems for all Nigerians.
The meeting was attended by the Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, senior officials of the ministry including directors, and the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Muyi Aina
