Nigeria has the greatest percentage of children who have never had a single routine vaccination, according to UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund.
According to 460PLAY, this was said by UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative Wafaa Saeed on Thursday, April 16, 2026, during the Republic of Korea–UNICEF Investment in Routine Immunisation flag-off in Badagry Local Government Area, Lagos State.
According to Saeed, who estimated that there are 2.2 million zero-dose children, all stakeholders have a shared duty.
Additionally, he stated that the figures represent actual children who frequently reside in vulnerable urban settlements, border communities, conflict-affected environments, and difficult-to-reach places without access to necessary services.
“The event today is not just a launch. Every Nigerian kid has the right to life-saving vaccinations, regardless of where they are born or reside. This is a shared political and moral commitment.
This load is not a scientific failure. Vaccines are effective. Instead, it represents persistent issues with fairness, access, and service reach, which is why great partnerships and political leadership are truly achievable.
“The Government of the Republic of Korea’s leadership and solidarity are greatly appreciated by UNICEF. Through our collaboration, Korea has shown that it understands that reaching the most marginalised people is the first step towards ensuring global health security.
The size of the demand and the trust in Nigeria’s systems and ability to produce outcomes are both reflected in the country’s involvement in this initiative.
In addition to supporting government initiatives to expand routine immunisation services, improve primary health care, restore trust, and guarantee that vaccines consistently reach every child—especially those who have historically been left behind—this investment aims to strengthen current national and subnational systems.
This difficulty is exemplified by Lagos State, and Badagry Local Government Area in particular. There are still pockets of exclusion even in places that are expanding and offering opportunities.
“Reaching zero-dose children here sends a strong national signal; equity is fundamental to stability and sustainable development; it is not optional,” he stated.
He pointed out that UNICEF’s roles continue to be supporting the government by providing global experience, operational reach, and community trust so that national promises translate into results where they matter most—among the hard-to-reach populations.
Additionally, Saeed praised the Federal Government of Nigeria, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and State Primary Health Care Boards for putting zero-dose children at the forefront of national health priorities, especially through focused interventions in communities and Local Government Areas that bear the greatest burden of unreached children.
According to LEE Sang Ho, Consul General of the Korean Embassy, Lagos Office, the flag-off ceremony marked the start of the regular immunisation program in Nigeria as part of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) Investments Project, which is a global partnership between UNICEF and the Republic of Korea.
According to Sang Ho, the Republic of Korea and UNICEF launched their global ACT-A cooperation in 2023 with a $70 million donation distributed over three years of implementation.
According to him, $20 million was allocated for 22 countries in the first year starting in 2023, $30 million for 34 countries between 2024 and 2025, and $20 million for 12 countries in the last stage between 2025 and 2026.
He continued by saying that Nigeria’s initiative, which would run for a year, will receive $5.6 million of the $20 million funding for 2025 and 2026.
“The goal of supporting this initiative is to guarantee that cases of zero-dose vaccination in children are decreased in specific targeted locations, which include 40 Local Government locations in five states: Lagos, Ogun, Niger, Bauchi, Adamawa, and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
He continued, “The selection of Nigeria is strategic because Nigeria records a high volume of children with little or zero-dose immunisation, which poses great danger to global health security.”