Rivers State is set for the first round of the Oral Polio Vaccine Immunization Campaign from the 3rd through to the 6th of May, 2025.

This was disclosed by the state Director, Community Health Services, Dr. Joy Tonye Wihioka, during a sensitization meeting with the Social and Behavioral-Change Communication Committee (SBCC) and stakeholders for the round one of the National Immunization Pulse Days (NIPDs) in Port Harcourt.

According to Dr. Wihioka, this campaign is targeted at the hard to reach areas and will focus on children within the age range of zero to five years.

The Immunization exercise  according to her, will basically go from  house to house, community to community and school to school campaign.

She said the meeting is primarily a Clarion call to all relevant stakeholders to create awareness on the improvement of the programme in the state.

Dr. Wihioka explained that the Rivers State government is striving towards  sufficient coverage in the vaccination exercise, noting that the state has recorded over 90% coverage of the vaccination exercise, save for the hard to reach areas, hence this exercise is deliberately targeted at these areas, as all necessary logistics have been put in place to ensure the successful implementation of the immunization campaign.

She said that one great achievement of the state is the near eradication of measles and whooping cough, even as the the state is not resting on its oars in carrying consistent surveillance for other  vaccine preventable diseases.

She explained that it is the testament of the vaccination successes that most of these diseases have been eradicated in our dear state,  that over the years it has been proven that vaccines are safe in managing preventable diseases.

On her part, the State Health Educator, Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board (RSPHCMB), Dr Babbo Diana, said one day had been designated to school children for the first round of the  Oral Polio Vaccine Immunization Campaign, explaining that children between the ages of zero to five years, would be targeted in  churches, mosques, market places and schools for them to be vaccinated.

He added that this year’s exercise would address the high number of unresolved non compliance cases.

Earlier, a representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), Ajawa Chibuzor, had pledged the support of the WHO in curtailing the issue of vaccine preventable diseases in the state.

Chibuzor who is an Assistant Health Public Officer said the Organisation is fully committed to ensuring that Rivers State is free from all vaccine preventable diseases.

Also speaking, the representative of the United Nation International children  Educational fund (UNICEF), Sandra James, said that UNICEF would encourage the Rivers State Health Care Management Board (RSPHCMB) to have a healthy State free of Polio.

President Bola Tinubu yesterday, said his administration remained committed to prioritising the welfare of Nigerian workers.
The President said this in a post on his official X handle to mark the 2025 Workers’ Day, acknowledging the critical role of workers in national development.
“To every Nigerian worker, Happy Workers’ Day. You are the engine of our economy and the secret to our nation’s growth. Our administration has and will continue to prioritise workers’ welfare. Together, we will make Nigeria great again.
“Here’s to everyone – young and old, entrepreneur or employee, in the private or public sector – whose meaningful contributions help in no small way to the development of our homes, communities, and our dear nation. Happy Workers’ Day, Nigeria,” said Tinubu.

The United Kingdom says it has taken a significant step to strengthen its partnership with Nigeria to combat fraud, detect and deter financial crimes.

The British High Commission in Nigeria made this known in a statement yesterday.

It said that a new joint action plan had been agreed upon, focusing on intelligence sharing, trend analysis, and joint performance monitoring to protect citizens from financial losses and increasingly sophisticated fraud threats.

The commission said the agreement was reached during a meeting between UK Minister for Fraud, Lord Hanson and Nigerian officials, including Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, and National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The Minister for Fraud, UK’s Lord Hanson, was quoted as saying fraud ruined lives and stripped people of their savings, confidence and sense of security.

The minister highlighted the importance of international partnerships in tackling fraud, noting that many of these crimes originated overseas.

“The joint action plan will enable both countries to better identify and stop fraud before it happens, crack down on criminals who exploit systems, and ultimately protect the public from the devastating impact of fraud, ” the minister said.

Also, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, stressed the need for sustained commitment to protect societies from fraud, stating that building on the foundation of past successes, it was necessary to confront crime with great seriousness.

Nick Sharp, Deputy Director of Fraud at the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), highlighted the significance of international cooperation, noting that over 70 per cent of fraud impacting the UK was estimated to have originated overseas or had overseas links.

The commission said that the UK-Nigeria Fraud Dialogue was launched in November 2024 to further strengthen the two nations’ shared commitment to combating fraud.

It said that the partnership underscored the shared commitment of both nations to tackling a threat that causes significant harm to citizens.

According to the commission, by sharing vital intelligence and conducting joint operations, the UK and Nigeria aim to strengthen their collective response to fraud and bring criminals to justice.

It said that the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and Nigeria’s Office of the National Security Adviser would work together on joint law enforcement operations.

It said that targeted training for Nigerian prosecutors would also be provided by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office.