The federal government has taken delivery of cold chain equipment valued at $11 million to boost vaccine storage, distribution and immunisation programmes nationwide.
The consignment comprises 1,653 solar direct-drive refrigerators, 165 sets of spare parts and temperature monitoring devices. At the handover ceremony in Abuja on Wednesday, Muyi Aina, executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), said the initiative was jointly supported by Gavi, UNICEF and the Federal Government.
Aina described the equipment as “timely”, given the multiple immunisation campaigns currently underway across the country, including a nationwide campaign, set to begin in October, targeting more than 109 million children aged between 0 and 14 years.
“Of the 1,653 refrigerators, 1,241 are of the B Medical Systems brand, while 412 are Dulas units. These were selected after a rigorous procurement process, drawing on our experience with existing devices deployed across the country,” Aina said.
Aina confirmed that the first batch of 525 refrigerators had already arrived in Nigeria, while the remaining consignments have landed and are awaiting deployment.
He informed that distribution will be guided by a nationwide assessment to address existing gaps, particularly in underserved communities and among “zero-dose” children who have not received any vaccinations.
According to the proposed government plan, the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory will receive allocations, the North-West will receive the largest share, with 448 units, followed by the South-West with 343, the North-Central with 308, the South-South with 221, the South-East with 205 and the North-East with 128. In total, 53% of the devices will go to states in northern Nigeria, with 47% allocated to the south.
Maharajan Muthu, chief of Health at UNICEF, described cold chain infrastructure as “the backbone of effective immunisation programmes.” He noted that UNICEF, as a core partner of the alliance with Gavi and NPHCDA, is providing technical support in the analysis of needs, procurement and delivery of the equipment.
“This support package, valued at around $11 million, will significantly enhance Nigeria’s healthcare system. The refrigerators make it possible to reach remote communities, ensure safe vaccine storage where electricity is unreliable, and ultimately deliver effective vaccines to every child, leaving no one behind,” he said.
