UNICEF and the Republic of Korea have partnered with the Nigerian government to launch a $5.6 million immunization drive targeting 2.2 million “zero-dose” children across six states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with the Republic of Korea and the Nigerian government, has launched a targeted routine immunization program in Badagry to address the country’s 2.2 million “zero-dose” children the highest figure in Africa. During the flag-off ceremony, UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative Wafaa Saeed emphasized that these unvaccinated minors represent “real lives at risk” and that the crisis is a symptom of “challenges of equity, access, and service reach” rather than a failure of medical science.
Supported by a $5.6 million investment from South Korea, the initiative will target 40 local government areas across six states and the FCT to strengthen frontline delivery and community trust. Saeed described the launch as a “shared political and moral commitment to the right of every Nigerian child to lifesaving vaccines,” while the Consul General of the Republic of Korea, Lee Sang Ho, noted that the high volume of under-immunized children poses a threat that “extends beyond national borders.” Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, added that the data-driven strategy is essential to reaching underserved urban and border communities, reinforcing the collective promise that “no child will be left behind.”