The Nigerian Infectious Diseases Society (NIDS) has warned that the country’s health system remains vulnerable to recurring and emerging infectious disease outbreaks, urging urgent reforms to protect national health security.
Speaking at the society’s 16th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference in Kaduna, experts said weak immunisation coverage, donor-dependent financing and inadequate sub-national preparedness were exposing Nigeria to a widening array of threats. The diseases identified as persistent or escalating included cholera, meningitis, Lassa fever, tuberculosis, HIV, Mpox and diphtheria, alongside a growing challenge from antimicrobial resistance.
Vaccine self-reliance Nigeria: building an end-to-end ecosystem
A central outcome of the conference was a strong call for vaccine sovereignty. Delegates urged the development of a domestic vaccine production ecosystem that spans research and development, industrial innovation, manufacturing and distribution. The communique, signed by NIDS president Dr Mahmood Muazu Dalhat, stressed that achieving vaccine self-reliance Nigeria requires deliberate collaboration between government, academia, industry, regulators and development partners.
“Vaccine development pathways must begin in academic and research institutions and be seamlessly linked to local manufacturing,” the communique said. Delegates argued that such integration would reduce reliance on donor supplies, shorten response times during outbreaks and strengthen long-term health security.
Experts acknowledged advances in HIV care, particularly the emergence of long-acting antiretroviral therapies that could improve adherence and reduce stigma if they are rapidly approved and equitably deployed. At the same time, contributors warned that poor implementation of Nigeria’s One-Health AMR National Action Plan is already undermining the treatment of common and life-threatening infections.
Climate change also featured prominently, with speakers noting that altered rainfall patterns, rising temperatures and environmental degradation heighten vulnerability to vector-borne, water-borne and zoonotic diseases. Delegates recommended climate-sensitive disease modelling and stronger coordination across ministries responsible for health, environment and agriculture.
The society set out a series of practical recommendations. These include increased domestic funding for surveillance systems, laboratories and outbreak preparedness, investment in the health workforce and decentralised healthcare, and the use of innovative financing models such as public-private partnerships and health security trust funds to reduce donor dependence.
Additional proposals called for accelerated regulatory approvals and phased introduction of long-acting HIV therapies, strengthened antimicrobial stewardship, and targeted investment in biotechnology and artificial intelligence to support research and diagnostics. NIDS emphasised the need for deeper academia-industry partnerships to translate research into local manufacturing capacity.
To improve coordination, the society recommended formal intersectoral frameworks to enhance information sharing, joint planning and implementation of infectious disease control programmes. NIDS thanked the Kaduna State Government and partners for hosting the event and reiterated its commitment to work with the Federal Ministry of Health and sub-national governments to advance scientific research and promote equitable access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
As Nigeria confronts multiple infectious threats, delegates said the success of reforms will depend on sustained political will, predictable domestic financing and effective collaboration across public and private sectors.
Key Takeaways:
- Nigeria faces rising infectious threats and weak immunisation coverage, prompting calls for strengthened governance and financing.
- Experts pushed for vaccine self-reliance Nigeria through an end-to-end domestic vaccine ecosystem linking research, industry and regulators.
- Concerns include antimicrobial resistance, climate-driven disease risks and the need for decentralised surveillance and laboratory investment.
- Recommendations include increased domestic funding, public-private partnerships, accelerated approvals for long-acting HIV therapies and stronger intersectoral coordination.
