Fulani communities in Kogi resist ongoing measles, polio, and HPV vaccination campaign
Some Fulani residents in Kogi State have rejected the ongoing Measles, Polio, and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination exercise under the state’s 2025 Integrated Immunization Campaign, raising concerns over achieving full coverage.
The vaccination campaign, launched by the Kogi State Government to protect children and adolescents from vaccine-preventable diseases, has recorded strong participation among indigenous communities but faced resistance from Fulani settlements, particularly in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area.
Speaking with Vanguard, the Local Government Immunisation Officer, Mr. Atyodele Raphael, said the refusal by Fulani families was hampering progress toward meeting the council’s immunisation targets.
“Despite using interpreters who speak their language, we are surprised by their repeated resistance. Most Fulani women insist that we must get permission from their husbands before vaccinating their children, but many of the men are away,” Raphael said.
“Even when we ask them to inform their husbands and return later, most of them still refuse. Only a few families allow us to proceed.”
He added that the council has intensified awareness campaigns within Fulani communities and expressed optimism that more families would consent before the exercise ends. According to him, Kabba/Bunu targets 66,000 children for vaccination.
During the official flag-off of the campaign at Kpata Primary Health Centre in Lokoja, Governor Usman Ododo reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to safeguarding the health and future of children across the state.
Ododo described the exercise as a major step toward eradicating vaccine-preventable diseases and protecting girls against cervical cancer through the HPV vaccine.
“These vaccines are free, safe, and effective, and no child should be left behind,” he said, urging parents, caregivers, and community leaders to support the campaign.
He also commended partners such as UNICEF and health workers for their efforts in improving healthcare delivery in the state.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza, lauded the governor’s leadership and acknowledged the increasing community support for revitalizing Primary Health Centres.
The Executive Director of the Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Mu’azu Musa Omeiza, announced that the campaign targets about 1.9 million children aged nine months to 14 years for Measles and Rubella vaccination, alongside additional doses for Polio and HPV.
