Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has approved nearly $500 million in support for vaccines and primary health care in Nigeria over the 2026–2030 period.
The decision followed a meeting on Friday between the Coordinating Minister of Health Muhammad Ali Pate and Gavi Chief Executive Dr. Sania Nishtar in Abuja.
The support is expected to bolster routine immunization and strengthen the country’s primary‑care system.
The funding, authorized under Gavi’s new 6.0 programme, will help Nigeria sustain gains from polio eradication efforts, expand human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, and shore up long‑term vaccine financing, officials said after a meeting between Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Prof.
“We are deepening our partnership with Gavi to accelerate immunization, broaden primary‑health services and ensure sustainable financing for vaccines,” Professor Pate said in a statement.
While welcoming Gavi’s shift to a predictable five‑year funding envelope, he said the near‑$500 million allocation will allow state and federal planners to better schedule procurement and delivery of life‑saving vaccines to children and other vulnerable groups.
The statement also pointed to what the two officials described as rapid improvements in primary‑care utilization: quarterly visits to primary‑health centers, Pate said, rose to more than 45 million from roughly 10 million in 2023 — a sign.
Professor said the development in support further proves that the federal government’s efforts to revitalize community health services are gaining traction.
Pate praised a separate $600 million pledge to Gavi from the US government as “a strong endorsement” of the alliance’s leadership and the global value of vaccines.
He also lauded closer coordination between Gavi and partners including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, saying the approach has aligned external support more closely with Nigeria’s health‑sector reforms.
While thanking Gavi and its partners for continued technical and financial backing, the Minister urged state governments to increase their own investments in health and immunization to complement federal initiatives.
Representatives for Gavi did not immediately provide additional details on the disbursement schedule or conditionalities attached to the allocation.
Dr. Nishtar has in recent months emphasized country‑focused reform and longer planning horizons as central to Gavi’s strategy under 6.0.
