The Lagos State Primary Health Care Board (LSPHCB) and Save the Children International (SCI) have discussed ways to improve routine immunisation and reach more zero-dose and under-immunised children in the state.
This was discussed when a delegation from Save the Children International, led by its Country Director, Duncan Harvey, visited the Board on Thursday, 17 September 2026.
The visit was part of Save the Children’s global leadership tour in Nigeria to assess the impact of its BOOST Project, which focuses on improving immunisation services for zero-dose and under-immunised children.
Lagos Population Growth Raises Immunisation Needs
Receiving the delegation, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, Dr Ibrahim Akinwunmi Mustafa, appreciated Save the Children for its continued support for healthcare and child nutrition in the state.
Dr Mustafa said Lagos’ growing population continues to put pressure on the state’s healthcare system.
He explained that the state’s position as a major commercial and transit centre has continued to attract people from different parts of the country, with new settlements emerging in areas including Alimosho and Ikorodu.
According to him, about 90 new residents arrive in Lagos every hour to settle permanently.
He said the population growth also means that Lagos has the highest absolute number of children requiring routine immunisation, making continued support from development partners important.
Board Seeks More Cold Chain Support
Dr Mustafa identified cold-chain infrastructure as one of the areas where additional support is needed.
He said the state has plans to increase its cold-storage capacity but would require further technical and hardware support from international partners.
The Permanent Secretary said stronger cold-chain facilities would help the state maintain vaccine potency as immunisation services are extended to new and growing communities.
He also asked Save the Children to share findings from its field visits with the Board in real time.
According to him, this would help the state identify gaps early and respond with targeted interventions.
Save the Children Commends Lagos
Speaking during the meeting, Save the Children Country Director, Duncan Harvey, commended the Lagos State Government for its investment in child health and nutrition.
Harvey said the state’s investments had provided a useful example of routine immunisation delivery and expressed interest in learning from the approaches being used in Lagos.
He said Save the Children would study the state’s strategies and experiences during the field assessment and consider how they could be adapted in other states where the organisation operates.
Field Assessment in Ikorodu
After the meeting, the delegation and health officials are scheduled to visit Agbede Primary Health Centre in Ikorodu Local Government Area.
The visit will include an assessment of routine immunisation sessions, cold-chain storage at the facility and discussions with community members using the health centre.
The assessment is expected to give the delegation a closer look at immunisation delivery at the primary healthcare level and the gaps that may require further support.
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