Nigeria: Faith Leaders Step Forward to Drive Childhood Vaccination in Conflict-Hit Communities

In the quiet courtyards of Dala in Borno State, north-east Nigeria, the voice of Goni Mai Hula carries authority. When he speaks inside his Tsangaya, a traditional Islamic seminary, children listen and neighbours follow. For more than four decades, the 60-year-old religious teacher has shaped generations in moral and spiritual discipline. Today, that same voice is helping to shape public health outcomes.

Health workers have arrived at his seminary as part of a nationwide integrated vaccination campaign led by the Nigerian Government with support from UNICEF, World Health Organization and other partners. Eligible children, including Hula’s sons and students, are receiving vaccines against polio, measles and rubella.

Despite vaccine availability, measles remains one of the leading causes of child deaths and long-term disability in Nigeria. The campaign is expanding access to multiple vaccines, including measles, rubella, polio and the human papillomavirus vaccine. While the Government provides leadership and health personnel, UNICEF and partners ensure vaccine supply, quality control, technical guidance and social mobilisation to reach even the most remote communities.

In areas affected by prolonged insecurity, trusted local voices often determine whether families accept vaccination. With donor support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund, UNICEF is working closely with religious and community leaders to address vaccine hesitancy.

Hula’s advocacy is rooted in both faith and lived experience. “Many of us in Dala have always maintained a positive attitude towards immunization,” he says. “But my personal experience and deep knowledge of Islamic teachings have also contributed to my positive disposition and resolve to mobilize community acceptance.”

He recalls how a close family member suffered from measles before vaccines were widely accessible. His brother lost his eyesight at a young age due to the disease. After vaccination, medication and proper hydration, his condition improved. The memory remains powerful in his community outreach.

Across parts of north-east Nigeria, vaccination efforts have faced hesitation and at times outright refusal, often driven by misconceptions about vaccine development and safety. For children, the consequences are severe, leaving them vulnerable to preventable diseases. UNICEF’s engagement with religious leaders helps reshape perceptions by framing immunisation as both medically sound and consistent with faith principles.

“People in my community became convinced when they observed that my students were being vaccinated with my full support,” Hula explains. “As a religious leader, they trust my decisions and believe that I would not endorse anything harmful. I reassured them that Islamically, vaccination is permissible.”

The campaign’s outreach goes beyond faith institutions. Radio programmes, school-based sessions and community dialogues led by women and youth groups reinforce accurate health information. Volunteer mobilisers conduct door-to-door visits, ensuring that messages reach households in remote and underserved areas.

The first phase of Nigeria’s immunisation drive reached approximately 59 million children. In Borno State, virtually every eligible child received protection against polio, measles and rubella. The second phase is now underway, aiming to reach an additional 100 million children nationwide.

Support from partners including the Gates Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary International and the Government of Canada has strengthened the campaign’s scale and sustainability.

Hula’s story illustrates a broader truth. In fragile and conflict-affected settings, health systems do not succeed on infrastructure alone. They depend on trust. When faith leaders speak with clarity and conviction, public health messages travel further and faster.

For Africa’s youngest populations, where demographic growth outpaces infrastructure in many regions, vaccination is not simply a medical intervention but a foundation for development. Nigeria’s experience shows that when community authority aligns with scientific evidence, lives are protected. Across a continent where many states are still young and institutions continue to evolve, partnerships between faith, government and global agencies offer a practical model of progress rooted in local leadership and collective responsibility.