UNICEF Raises Alarm Over Unimmunised Children in 12 LGAs of Borno and Yobe
By Njadvara Musa, Maiduguri
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that children in 12 local government areas (LGAs) across Borno and Yobe states remain unvaccinated against six life-threatening childhood diseases.
UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office, Joseph Senesie, raised the concern in Maiduguri during the commemoration of this year’s Children’s Day. He noted that the rising number of zero-dose children—those who have never received any routine immunisation—leaves them dangerously exposed to preventable illnesses such as diphtheria and polio.
Beyond immunisation, Senesie highlighted other critical issues affecting children in the region. Despite improvements in school enrolment, he said, approximately 2 million children are still out of school in the Northeast. Even among those who complete primary school, 72% cannot read simple texts, and only 62% successfully transition to junior secondary school.
“Are we truly unlocking the potential of our children’s untapped treasures?” he asked. “Are we breaking down the barriers to their growth and securing their future?”
Senesie commended regional governments for their efforts in implementing the Child Protection Law, declaring five LGAs open defecation-free, and establishing food and nutrition committees across all 27 LGAs in Borno State.
He urged the governments of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe to sustain and expand these efforts, particularly in addressing barriers to nutrition, education, immunisation, birth registration, child protection, and access to clean water and sanitation.
In 2024 alone, with the support of partners, UNICEF provided life-saving treatment for approximately 600,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM). The agency also reached 2.48 million children under the age of five with vitamin A supplements and vaccinated 1.2 million children with the pentavalent vaccine, including 32,215 children receiving their first-ever immunisation doses.
