According to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Nigeria has the dubious honor of having the least-vaccinated number of children in the world, which was conveyed by UNICEF Health Officer Bashir Elegbede, speaking outside of the 2025 World Immunization Day, in Yobe State, one of the two “battleground states” in the nation.
“The under-one population in Nigeria is estimated at 8.7 million,” Elegbede told the press, “with 2.1 million of them (24%) classified as [Zero Dose] children. This highlights that Nigeria bears the highest global burden of ZD children. Reducing the number of zero-dose children—those who have not received any routine vaccination—is crucial for improving public health outcomes in Nigeria.”
