The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to start a statewide school vaccination program for diphtheria urgently, in order to prevent the spread of the deadly bacterial infection.
The lawmakers’ resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by the House spokesman, Akin Rotimi, during plenary on Wednesday.
The motion, titled The Outbreak of Diphtheria in King’s College, Lagos, highlighted the need for swift government intervention after a 12-year-old student died from the disease, with several others hospitalised.
While presenting the motion, Rotimi lamented the rising cases of diphtheria, citing data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control’s Weekly Diphtheria Situation Report of January 26, 2025, which recorded 24,804 confirmed cases across 25 states since 2022, with 1,269 deaths in 18 states.
“The House is deeply concerned that this incident exposes significant lapses in infection prevention and control measures in federal unity colleges,” he said, stressing the need for the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure student safety in its institutions.
He praised the Lagos State Government for containing the outbreak by quickly isolating affected students, establishing an Emergency Operations Committee, and starting a mass vaccination campaign.
He also acknowledged the efforts of the NCDC and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency in combating the disease.
Following the motion’s adoption, the House directed the Federal Ministry of Health, the NPHCDA, and the NCDC to intensify vaccination and public awareness campaigns in schools to prevent further outbreaks.
The Federal Ministry of Education was also directed by the lawmakers to create a clear action plan for infectious disease outbreaks and to perform an immediate assessment of the health facilities in unity colleges.
Additionally, the House tasked its Committees on Health and Basic Education with engaging relevant agencies to enhance infection prevention and emergency response measures in federal schools.
The House further urged the Federal Government to provide compensation to the family of the deceased student, acknowledging the tragic loss and the duty of care owed to students in federal institutions.
