In a major breakthrough for child health in northern Nigeria, traditional leadership has thrown its weight behind routine immunization.

The Zannan Kano and District Head of Jogana, Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe, has pledged an aggressive push to ensure every single child within his domain is fully vaccinated against preventable diseases.

The traditional leader made the commitment at his palace in Jogana, Gezawa Local Government Area, during a high-level advocacy visit by the Kano Community of Practice (CoP) on Immunization, Budget Tracking, Advocacy, and Accountability.

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The strategic engagement was organized in collaboration with the BOOST Project, implemented by Save the Children International with funding from GSK.

A central focus of the advocacy visit was addressing deep-rooted social barriers that stall immunization progress in Kano State among them being the lack of male involvement.

The delegation presented recent gender advocacy findings highlighting spousal restriction, a troubling trend where some fathers actively prevent mothers from taking their children to healthcare facilities for routine vaccinations.

The advocacy team emphasized that shifting the narrative requires community leaders to target men directly, ensuring they understand that child health is a shared family responsibility.

Reacting to the data presented, Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe described the plight of vulnerable, unvaccinated children as “unacceptable.”

“I am committed to ensuring that every child in my domain enjoys the right to good health,” the Zannan Kano affirmed.

To turn words into measurable impact, the District Head announced an immediate, three-pronged action plan:

Village Head Mobilization: Activating all 28 village heads under his jurisdiction to actively track and identify children who have missed their vaccine schedules.

Dropout Reduction: Strengthening grassroots monitoring mechanisms to ensure children who start their immunization routines actually complete them.

Direct Advocacy: Leading targeted community sensitization efforts to dismantle cultural and spousal restrictions.

The advocacy team provided the traditional authority with an evidence-based advocacy brief and localized health data.

The Zannan Kano highly commended the approach, noting that the data offered invaluable, eyes-on-the-ground insights into the specific healthcare bottlenecks plaguing Gezawa and Jogana.

This partnership marks a pivotal milestone for Kano State. By marrying the profound cultural authority of traditional institutions with the resource backing of international development partners, the state moves one step closer to ensuring no child is left behind.

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The Kano Community of Practice (CoP) on Immunization: Works to promote accountability, strengthen health advocacy, and track budgeting to improve immunization financing across Kano State.

The BOOST Project Funded by GSK and implemented by Save the Children International, the project focuses on fortifying primary healthcare systems and scaling up routine immunization in key local government areas, including Gezawa and Ungogo.