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Diphtheria outbreak: Alli questions Oyo’s immunisation coverage despite ₦9.8bn World Bank funding
The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) has expressed concern over a reported diphtheria outbreak in several local government areas of Oyo State, urging Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration to strengthen its response and account for resources allocated to childhood immunisation.
The organisation said its concerns were heightened by figures indicating that Oyo recorded the lowest childhood immunisation coverage among the six South-West states, despite receiving billions of naira in development financing under the World Bank-supported Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) Project.
In a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, the organisation described the reported outbreak and the state’s immunisation performance as issues requiring urgent public attention, given that diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable disease.
Diphtheria is a bacterial infection that commonly affects the nose and throat and can cause serious complications, including breathing difficulties, heart damage and death, particularly when diagnosis and treatment are delayed.
The statement listed the affected local government areas as Atisbo, Ibadan North-West, Oyo West, Akinyele, Saki, Egbeda, Oriire, Ibadan North, Ibadan South-West, Iwajowa, Ona-Ara, Atiba, Lagelu, Ogbomoso North, Surulere and Oluyole.
“The reported outbreak of diphtheria, with the associated concerns about cases and fatalities among children, should be a wake-up call for Oyo State.
“Every child deserves protection against vaccine-preventable diseases, and the government must demonstrate that its immunisation programme is reaching vulnerable communities effectively. “This is an urgent public health concern that demands a clear and timely response. The protection of human lives must not be subordinated to political publicity.
“The Director of Public Health must explain to the people the factors driving these outbreaks and account for the resources expended so far on immunisation and outbreak prevention,” the organisation said.
According to figures cited by SSACO, Oyo’s childhood immunisation coverage increased marginally from 51.3 per cent in the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) to 55 per cent in the 2025–2026 survey, representing an increase of 3.7 percentage points.
The organisation said the corresponding figures for other South-West states showed that coverage rose from 58.2 to 84.9 per cent in Ekiti, 52.1 to 86 per cent in Lagos, 52.1 to 63.9 per cent in Ogun, 59.8 to 84 per cent in Ondo, and 54.4 to 78.1 per cent in Osun.
It added that immunisation coverage across the South-West increased by 14.3 percentage points, from 58.2 to 72.5 per cent, during the period under review.
SSACO said the figures placed Oyo at the bottom of the regional comparison, raising questions about the reach and effectiveness of the state government’s immunisation interventions.
The organisation also noted that Oyo was the only South-West state among the 12 participating states under the immunisation component of the World Bank-supported IMPACT Project.
The other participating states are Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Plateau and Sokoto.
It argued that the combination of low immunisation coverage and the reported diphtheria outbreak warranted a review of the resources committed to immunisation, the interventions implemented and the results achieved.
Citing audited financial records, SSACO said cumulative funds received by Oyo State from the World Bank and the International Development Association (IDA) under the project stood at approximately ₦9.832 billion as of December 31, 2024.
It added that the state’s ₦41 million contribution, alongside ₦13.45 million in miscellaneous and interest income, brought cumulative project receipts to approximately ₦9.886 billion.
“Billions of naira in development financing must translate into measurable improvements in public health.
“These funds are not free money; they are part of development financing that carries obligations and must deliver value to the people who will ultimately bear the cost,” the organisation said.
SSACO urged the state government to work closely with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and relevant development partners to contain the outbreak and prevent further transmission.
Beyond the immediate response, the organisation called for the publication of updated IMPACT Project financial and implementation reports, including details of subsequent disbursements, expenditure by project component, planned vaccination targets, actual coverage achieved and measures taken to reach underserved communities.
It also questioned the continued engagement of a retired Primary Health Care Board (PHCB) IMPACT Programme Manager in the project’s implementation, arguing that the scale of the programme and concerns about its outcomes made transparency in staffing and programme management essential.
“Oyo State has qualified medical and public health professionals whose expertise should be effectively deployed to strengthen the system.
“We must insist on accountability and competent programme management,” the organisation said.
