By Lizzy Carr
The Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), in collaboration with its Communities of Practice (CoP) in Bauchi, Borno, Kano and Sokoto States, has released the 2025 Immunization Budget Accountability Scorecard, spotlighting government commitments, budget allocations, fund releases and immunization service delivery outcomes across selected northern states.
The findings were contained in a press statement signed by the Convener and Chief Executive Officer of AHBN, Dr Amina Maigashi Garba. According to the statement, the scorecard builds on years of evidence-based tracking and citizen-led accountability to assess how public financing translates into equitable access to life-saving vaccines for children.
Dr Garba noted that although the Zero Dose Learning Hub (ZDLH) initiative, supported by GAVI with technical partnership from AFENET, formally concluded in December 2025, AHBN and its Communities of Practice remain committed to sustaining accountability efforts aimed at reaching zero-dose children in 2026 and beyond.
In Bauchi State, the scorecard recorded a significant milestone in 2025, as the state government allocated and fully released ₦872 million into the Immunization Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Basket Fund. AHBN described the 100 per cent fund release as a clear demonstration of political will and continuity in financing routine immunization.
However, the scorecard revealed that immunization outcomes in the state remain below expectations, with Penta 1 and Penta 3 coverage rates still under 40 per cent. AHBN stressed the need for stronger implementation, intensified community outreach and demand-creation strategies to ensure that released funds translate into improved coverage and that no child in Bauchi State is left behind.
In Sokoto State, the government released ₦365 million for immunization programmes in 2025, representing progress in strengthening routine immunization financing. Despite this, the scorecard identified gaps in data transparency and accessibility. AHBN and the Community of Practice called on the Sokoto State Ministry of Budget and Planning to regularly publish comprehensive quarterly budget performance reports through existing platforms, including government websites, to enhance evidence-based decision-making and public trust.
Kano State recorded a historic breakthrough, with ₦1.4 billion allocated to immunization services in 2025, up from ₦528 million in 2024. The substantial increase reflects growing prioritization of immunization within the state’s health agenda. Notably, the improved financing coincided with better outcomes, as Penta 1 and Penta 3 coverage rates exceeded 65 per cent.
To consolidate these gains and further reduce the number of zero-dose children, AHBN and its Community of Practice urged the Kano State Primary Health Care Management Board (KNSPHCMB) to ensure timely and adequate disbursement of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to primary healthcare facilities.
Overall, AHBN called on state governments across Northern Nigeria to sustain and scale up investments in routine immunization, strengthen accountability and transparency mechanisms, and prioritize reaching every zero-dose child as a matter of equity, public health security and sustainable development.
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