It is deeply troubling that Nigeria is still grappling with diphtheria on such a scale in 2026. More troubling is the fact that this is a vaccine-preventable disease that should, with a functional routine immunisation system and an effective public health infrastructure, be largely under control.
Yet, once again, children are dying.
Recent reports from Plateau, Katsina and Kano states paint a disturbing picture of a disease spreading through communities, overwhelming health facilities and exposing serious weaknesses in Nigeria’s approach to disease prevention. Plateau alone has recorded at least 23 deaths and 143 suspected cases in the latest outbreak, with the figure subsequently reported to have risen to close to 30 deaths. In Katsina, suspected cases have been reported across 29 of the state’s 34 local government areas. Nasarawa has also confirmed 15 cases, mostly among children who were not immunised.
Kano, which has borne a particularly heavy burden since the outbreak began in 2022, is again dealing with resurgence. The state has asked for nine million doses of vaccine, yet the federal government has supplied only about 650,000 doses. The contrast is difficult to ignore. If authorities know the scale of the problem and know that vaccination is the most effective protection, why are we once again scrambling for vaccines after children have started falling ill?
While we acknowledge federal government’s deployment of about a million doses and activation of an emergency multi-agency task force in response to the latest outbreaks are welcome, as well as the efforts by state authorities to establish isolation centres, emergency intervention should not become the default strategy for dealing with a disease that has been with us for years.
Why are we repeatedly responding to diphtheria after it has spread instead of preventing it from spreading in the first place?
From what has been reported, the problem goes beyond the immediate availability of vaccines. Nigeria has had enough warning. Kano’s experience alone should have compelled a more sustained and proactive response. The state reportedly requested five million doses after the 2023 outbreak but received only about 300,000. Now, after another outbreak, it has requested nine million doses and received 650,000. Whatever the explanations for these supply gaps, this is not a satisfactory way to manage a known and recurring public health threat.
It should also force a national conversation about our dependence on development partners for essential vaccines. International agencies have played an invaluable role in Nigeria’s immunisation programme and their support remains important. But a country of Nigeria’s size and population cannot continue to approach basic vaccine requirements as though they are unexpected emergencies that must be met by donors whenever an outbreak occurs.
In neighbouring Cameroon, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported in 2024 that the country had brought its diphtheria outbreak under control, with no cases reported since January that year. The experience demonstrates that outbreaks can be contained when surveillance, vaccination, diagnosis and treatment are adequately coordinated.
Nigeria, therefore, cannot simply blame the disease on the size of its population, poverty or the difficulty of reaching remote communities. Those are real challenges, but they do not absolve governments of responsibility.
The state of our primary healthcare system is another major concern.
Reports from Katsina indicate that secondary and tertiary health facilities have come under considerable pressure as cases rise. This is precisely why successive governments have been urged to strengthen primary healthcare centres. A functional Primary Health Care (PHC) system should be the first line of defence, providing routine immunisation, early detection, referral and community-level surveillance before illnesses become severe enough to require admission to specialist hospitals.
It is also important to recognise the human cost behind the statistics. Each reported death represents a child, a family and a future cut short. Recent reports from Plateau have captured the anguish of parents who lost children after what initially appeared to be ordinary sore throats. Such accounts should remind policymakers that public health statistics are ultimately about human lives.
At the same time, communities must shoulder their share of responsibility. The Nasarawa health authorities have linked the current cases largely to children who were not immunised, while health officials elsewhere have repeatedly raised concerns about vaccine hesitancy and children missing routine doses.
At Daily Trust, we therefore call on government to improve access to vaccines, while communities must also use the services provided. Traditional rulers, religious leaders and community organisations have an important role in correcting misinformation and encouraging parents to complete routine immunisation.
The latest engagement of traditional rulers in Kano is a welcome step, but such mobilisation should be continuous rather than activated only when an outbreak begins.
We also call on the federal government and the states to move beyond the emergency response and address the underlying weaknesses exposed by this outbreak. There must be reliable vaccine forecasting and procurement, stronger cold-chain and distribution systems, better disease surveillance and properly equipped primary healthcare centres. States and local governments must also take greater responsibility for routine immunisation and community health instead of leaving too much of the burden to Abuja and international partners.
Nigeria has been here before. It should not have to keep returning.
Diphtheria is preventable. The vaccines exist. The knowledge exists. The treatment protocols exist. What have been missing are the consistency, preparedness and political commitment required to ensure that children are protected before an outbreak begins.