The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has said that the Federal Government has administered more than 25 million doses of measles vaccine and 22 million yellow fever vaccinations across Nigeria.

Pate disclosed this on Sunday in a broadcast shared on his official X handle, where he highlighted what he described as significant gains recorded in immunisation coverage and preventive healthcare delivery nationwide.

“Under this administration, over 25 million measles doses and 22 million yellow fever vaccinations have been administered, alongside Africa’s first Mpox vaccine rollout,” Pate said.

Beyond measles and yellow fever vaccinations, the minister said five million children had received the pentavalent vaccine, while more than 10 million Nigerians were vaccinated with the tetanus-diphtheria vaccine through the nationwide response to the diphtheria outbreak.

He added that over one million vaccine doses from the Gavi-funded global stockpile were deployed to support meningitis outbreak control efforts, particularly in northern parts of the country.

Pate said Nigeria had also taken a historic step in malaria control with the introduction of its first-ever malaria vaccine.

“As the country bearing the world’s highest malaria burden, accounting for approximately 39.3 per cent of malaria-related deaths among children under five, deployment of the R21 Matrix-M vaccine marks a major public health milestone,” he said.

The minister explained that the rollout of the malaria vaccine commenced in Bayelsa and Kebbi states, noting that Kebbi State alone was targeting 179,542 children aged between five and 15 months.

He said Nigeria received one million doses of the malaria vaccine, comprising 846,200 doses supplied by Gavi and 153,800 doses financed by the Federal Government, with plans already in place for further scale-up.

According to Pate, Nigeria is increasingly being defined not only by its disease burden but also by its leadership in domestic resource mobilisation and global disease control initiatives.

He said that in 2025, the Federal Government committed 54 million dollars in domestic resources to the global fight against tuberculosis and emerged as the largest African contributor to the Global Fund, as announced at the most recent G20 meeting held in Johannesburg.

“These gains are substantive,” Pate said.

He noted that sustained increases in health sector financing across all levels of government, covering primary healthcare infrastructure, workforce development and vaccination campaigns, had strengthened global confidence in Nigeria as a provider of health solutions.

Pate also highlighted Nigeria’s efforts to eliminate cervical cancer, stating that although about 12,000 Nigerian women are diagnosed with the disease annually, it is preventable through early vaccination against the Human Papillomavirus.

He said that since the launch of the HPV vaccination programme in October 2023 across 15 states and the Federal Capital Territory, more than 14 million eligible girls aged nine to 14 years had been vaccinated, representing over 90 per cent coverage.

The minister said the achievements were the result of deliberate sectoral reforms and improved coordination through the Sector-Wide Approach, which aligns all tiers of government with development partners and non-governmental organisations.

He added that formal approval had recently been granted for an additional N68 billion for vaccine financing and related requirements, with the funds lodged at the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and scheduled for release.

Pate said the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu extended beyond economic reform and infrastructure investment and was firmly anchored on the development of the Nigerian person.

He said Nigeria’s population of over 240 million was increasingly demonstrating a commitment to accessing quality health services and preventive tools that protect lives, reduce avoidable illness and sustain productivity.

According to him, this progress is reflected in measurable improvements in health service utilisation nationwide.

“In the second quarter of 2024, health facilities nationwide recorded approximately 10 million hospital visits. By the second quarter of 2025, visits exceeded 45 million, representing a more than fourfold increase,” Pate said.

He explained that the increase reflected greater utilisation of essential and life-saving services, particularly immunisation, among Nigeria’s youthful population, which had previously been limited by misinformation, distrust and poor access.

According to the minister, the administration remains committed to ensuring that preventable illness and avoidable death no longer limit the ability of Nigerians to live healthy, productive and dignified lives.