24 July 2006 - Alhaji Sayyadi Abubakar Mahmood, the 75-year old Emir of Ringim, is leading by example in Jigawa State, monitoring immunization activities in over 60 villages and hamlets at personal cost, to ensure that all eligible children are given oral polio drops during each round of polio campaigns.

During such field visits, he encourages vaccinators to bring problems to the attention of ward and village heads, who are supposed to report to him within an hour, if unsolved locally. The Emir whose field visits and zeal are praised by his people, external monitors and the WHO State Coordinator, Dr. Isameldin Mirghani Abdelrahim, says he is keen to ensure that the emirate is the best in immunization activities in the state.

There is a positive emerging trend in Jigawa State, where traditional rulers are increasingly driving immunization activities. In Dutse emirate, which covers seven local government areas (LGAs) the Emir, Dr. Nuhu Muhammed Sanusi, personally wrote to the State Governor in March, requesting a stakeholders meeting to address constraints to quality routine immunization (RI) activities. An earlier letter by him, led to the approval of N20,000 by the Governor to support monthly RI activities in each of the LGAs. Dr. Sanusi, who says he was against polio vaccination until a year ago, is also actively participating in the field during polio campaigns. During a special flag-off in Kudai Ward, he personally vaccinated over 50 children. This visible commitment is having a positive impact on community acceptance of oral polio vaccine.

Alhaji Ahmad Muhammad Sani 11, has also been at the forefront of efforts to improve polio immunization coverage in the four LGAs within his Gumel emirate. The Emir has publicly vaccinated his own children to assure doubters of the safety of the oral polio vaccine. He continues to address ongoing community concerns and regularly facilitates the cooperation of key religious groups.

These three key leaders are enthusiastic about ongoing discussions to ensure traditional rulers at all levels take a more direct role in polio eradication and immunization activities. The Emir of Ringim believes that team selection is critical to quality implementation, and is convinced that it is when the government, the public and the traditional institution work together that the right people can be recruited/selected and success assured. The Emir of Gumel recommends that the traditional institution takes over the team selection process, to ensure that people who are respected and can convince families, are chosen to do the immunization campaign.

The involvement of widely respected traditional rulers, as demonstrated in Jigawa state, will be a key success factor for achieving immunization targets in Nigeria.

- By Nosa Owens-Ibie