The Federal Government of Nigeria has secured a $191 million grant from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to bolster the country’s health systems over the next four years, in what has been described as one of the largest health system strengthening investments ever made by the Alliance.
The announcement was made on Friday in Abuja during the official launch of the third phase of Gavi’s Health Systems Strengthening (HSS-3) support to Nigeria. In addition to the grant, Gavi is investing nearly $100 million this year in a nationwide vaccination campaign aimed at protecting over 100 million children from Measles and Rubella.
Speaking at the launch, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate—represented by Dr Kamil Shoretire, Director of Health Planning, Research, and Statistics—praised the continued partnership with Gavi, noting its crucial role in helping Nigeria’s immunisation programme recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and introduce new vaccines for HPV, malaria, and Mpox.
Prof Pate said the government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership, views health care as a democratic dividend and fundamental right, adding that ongoing reforms aim to make quality health services equitably accessible and affordable.
Gavi’s Director of Health Systems and Immunization Strengthening, Alex de Jonquieres, described Nigeria as a central partner in Gavi’s global mission. He revealed that Gavi has supported the immunisation of 62 million Nigerian children and helped avert two million deaths since 2000, with over $2.4 billion in total investment.
“Recognizing Nigeria’s significance, the Gavi Board in 2018 approved a dedicated 10-year strategy to support the country. Since then, over $1.1 billion in vaccines have been procured, with $260 million allocated to strengthen the health systems,” he said.
De Jonquieres detailed the outcomes of the strategy so far: immunising 1.7 million zero-dose children, reaching 91 million under-five children through campaigns, and installing over 11,000 cold chain equipment units. Additionally, the strategy has supported eight states, recruited over 3,600 health workers, and upgraded nearly 500 primary health centres.
Despite these gains, he acknowledged challenges remain, including Nigeria’s status as home to the highest number of zero-dose children globally. The new $191 million grant aims to extend health services to an additional 1.8 million unvaccinated children and raise national immunisation coverage to 84 per cent by 2028.
The Gavi official emphasized that over 80 per cent of the new funding will be directed to sub-national levels, with a portion allocated to civil society organisations and community-based efforts, supported by traditional leaders to ensure grassroots impact.
Dr Muyi Aina, Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, said the progress in immunisation and primary health care services would not have been possible without Gavi’s previous support. He added that the launch of HSS-3 marks the beginning of more citizen-focused improvements across Nigeria’s health landscape.
