The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to initiate compulsory immunisation, testing, and treatment of diphtheria across all 774 local government areas, following alarming statistics linked to the disease’s resurgence.
This resolution came during Wednesday’s plenary session after a motion of urgent public importance was moved by Hon. Bitrus Laori, who represents Demsa/Numan/Lamurde Federal Constituency in Adamawa State.
Laori, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, highlighted that diphtheria remains a major public health threat in Nigeria due to low vaccination coverage, in contrast to countries like the United States and those in Europe, where the disease is virtually nonexistent due to widespread immunisation.
He expressed alarm over Nigeria’s poor performance in containing the disease, noting that between May 2022 and February 2025, the country recorded 41,978 suspected cases, with Kano and Yobe States being the worst hit—reporting 24,062 and 5,330 cases respectively. Children between the ages of 1 to 14 were the most affected, with only 19.7% fully vaccinated, leading to 1,279 deaths.
Laori blamed poor vaccination coverage, delayed clinical detection, inadequate access to antitoxins, and weak treatment protocols for the worsening situation.
The House unanimously adopted the motion, with Speaker Tajudeen Abbas presiding. The lawmakers directed the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency to immediately enforce mandatory immunisation and treatment programmes nationwide.
Additionally, the Ministry of Information and National Orientation was tasked with launching aggressive public sensitisation campaigns about the disease’s dangers and transmission.
The House also mandated its Committees on Health and Health Institutions to monitor compliance and assess the capacity of health facilities to handle the outbreak, with a report expected within four weeks.
