Sultan partners Benue traditional rulers on polio eradication

The Sultan of Sokoto Foundation has partnered with the Benue State government to train traditional rulers as advocates for the eradication of polio, leveraging their influence to boost community enlightenment and vaccine acceptance.

Ahmed Mustapha, Team Leader of the Sultan Foundation, outlined the 2025 strategic shift in the polio campaign, stressing that the Foundation for Peace and Development has been mandated to lead the dissemination workshops across the 19 northern states.

“We are currently implementing this initiative across all 23 local government areas in Benue, with a team made up of officials from the BSPHCDA, Sultan Foundation, Chigari Foundation, WHO, and UNICEF,” he said.

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Mustapha added that the campaign team will be visiting each LGA to engage traditional leaders, local health teams, ward focal persons, and other key stakeholders in the fight against polio.

Assistant State Immunisation Officer at the Benue State Primary Healthcare Board, Shwua Aza, disclosed that the training session will be held for selected traditional rulers in Makurdi.

He expressed optimism that engaging traditional institutions would help tackle community resistance and non-compliance, which have hampered past efforts to eliminate polio.

“Traditional rulers are deeply respected within their communities. Their involvement will go a long way in dispelling myths and skepticism surrounding polio vaccines,” Aza said.

Recall that since assuming office in 2023, Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration, in collaboration with the World Bank IMPACT Project, has prioritised the renovation and equipping of primary healthcare centres, alongside the recruitment of healthcare workers.

The government’s main goal, according to a health official, was to reduce maternal and child mortality and improve immunisation coverage across the state and as part of the effort, both health workers and traditional rulers are being trained to serve as frontline advocates for polio eradication.

One of the beneficiaries of the training, His Royal Highness Simon Ajoh, a third-class chief of Ihyarev, welcomed the initiative as he noted that traditional leaders are well-positioned to drive change at the grassroots level.

Speaking during the event, Mercy Achinya, Maternal and Child Health Coordinator for Makurdi LGA, emphasised the significance of the partnership with the Sultan Foundation.

“This initiative is a strategic move to harness the credibility of traditional rulers to achieve what has eluded Nigeria for three decades -’complete eradication of polio,” she said.

Also speaking, the Nutrition Focal Person for Makurdi LGA stressed the importance of a merit-based approach in selecting communities for the implementation phase.

She expressed hope that the involvement of traditional leaders would address deep-rooted mistrust around polio vaccinations in rural communities.