By Abuja News Desk
The Borno State Government has been urged by UNICEF to complement the newly rebuilt climate-resilient Cold and Dry Store at the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency’s immunisation complex in Maiduguri with adequate staffing and sustained funding.
Speaking at the commissioning on Friday, Mr. Francis Butichi, UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Northeast Nigeria, said the facility, rebuilt with $406,000 funding from the governments of Germany and Canada, replaces vital vaccine infrastructure destroyed during the September 2024 floods caused by the collapse of the Alau Dam.
“But rebuilding infrastructure alone is not enough. It must be matched with manpower and operational support to guarantee effective service delivery,” Butichi said.
The 2024 floods submerged nearly 70 per cent of Maiduguri, destroying cold chain equipment and wiping out close to one million vaccine doses, threatening immunisation services across all 27 local government areas.
The upgraded hub has been converted into a climate-resilient complex powered by a 64KVA solar system to ensure uninterrupted vaccine preservation. It has also been restocked with nearly one million routine and campaign vaccine doses.
The State Primary Healthcare Development Board will oversee preventive maintenance under the PHC MoU framework to ensure vaccine security, particularly in hard-to-reach communities.
Butichi said the hub would strengthen routine immunisation, boost outbreak preparedness, and support zero-dose reduction efforts across the state. “Every vaccine dose properly stored here represents hope for a child in the most remote community,” he added.
