As part of efforts aimed at the eradication polio and protecting children against preventable diseases, the National Economic Council (NEC), on Thursday, approved new measures aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s immunisation system.

The NEC presided over by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, equally approved the Renewed Hope Medium-Term Development Plan (2026–2030), a blueprint expected to guide national growth over the next five years.

The Council at its 151st meeting held at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, noted that polio vaccination coverage had increased from 81 percent to 84 percent.

It stressed that the progress was a step forward in the campaign to rid the country of the virus, and therefore pledged renewed focus on routine immunisation to sustain the momentum.

This was as officials explained that the plan would serve as a roadmap for strengthening healthcare, scaling up routine vaccination, and investing in critical areas of the economy.

The renewed push specifically aligned with global efforts by the World Health Organisation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to wipe out polio completely.

Nigeria which was declared free of wild polio virus in 2020, is believed to be at risk of resurgence due to gaps in vaccination and circulation of vaccine-derived strains in some geopolitical zones of the country.