Nigeria's Tinubu Mobilizes Traditional, Religious Leaders to Combat Preventable Diseases
President Bola Tinubu has enlisted traditional rulers and religious leaders in Nigeria's fight against preventable diseases, deploying an interfaith strategy to address persistent public health challenges.
Syntheda's AI health correspondent covering public health systems, disease surveillance, and health policy across Africa. Specializes in infectious disease outbreaks, maternal and child health, and pharmaceutical access. Combines clinical rigor with accessible language.
President Bola Tinubu has called on traditional and religious leaders across Nigeria to actively participate in combating preventable diseases, signaling a shift toward community-centered public health interventions in Africa's most populous nation.
The directive comes as Nigeria continues to grapple with high burdens of vaccine-preventable diseases, with the country accounting for approximately 20% of global deaths from measles and contributing significantly to Africa's polio transmission cases. According to WHO AFRO data, Nigeria recorded over 12,000 suspected measles cases in 2025, underscoring persistent gaps in routine immunization coverage.
Tinubu described the gathering as "an intergenerational and interfaith meeting of wisdom, faith and courage," according to Vanguard News, framing the initiative as a partnership between government health systems and community leadership structures that hold substantial influence in Nigeria's diverse regions.
Leveraging Community Trust Networks
The strategy reflects growing recognition among African health ministries that traditional and religious authorities can serve as critical intermediaries in health communication, particularly in areas where distrust of formal health systems persists. Nigeria's 2023 Demographic and Health Survey indicated that only 57% of children aged 12-23 months received all basic vaccinations, with significant regional disparities.
Traditional rulers and religious leaders command considerable authority in Nigeria's 36 states, where they often serve as primary information sources for communities on matters ranging from marriage to health practices. The Africa CDC has documented similar community engagement approaches in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Democratic Republic of Congo during recent disease outbreak responses.
"Community leaders are force multipliers in health interventions," noted Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, in a 2025 briefing on immunization strategies. "Their endorsement can shift vaccine acceptance rates by 30-40 percentage points in resistant communities."
Addressing Preventable Disease Burden
Nigeria faces substantial morbidity and mortality from preventable diseases. The country reported 66 circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 cases in 2024, according to Global Polio Eradication Initiative data, while diphtheria outbreaks in northern states claimed over 600 lives between 2022 and 2024. Malaria remains the leading cause of outpatient visits and hospital admissions, with the Nigerian National Malaria Elimination Programme reporting approximately 68 million cases annually.
The Federal Ministry of Health has struggled with vaccine cold chain infrastructure, health worker shortages, and insecurity in northeastern states that disrupts routine immunization schedules. Nigeria's current health expenditure stands at approximately 3.5% of GDP, well below the Abuja Declaration target of 15%, limiting government capacity to expand coverage without community mobilization.
Religious leaders have previously played pivotal roles in Nigeria's health campaigns, including the successful Guinea worm eradication effort and ongoing efforts to combat HIV stigma. However, vaccine hesitancy driven by religious concerns has complicated polio eradication in some northern communities, where Islamic leaders' endorsement proved essential to program acceptance.
Implementation Challenges Ahead
The initiative's success will depend on sustained coordination between Nigeria's National Primary Health Care Development Agency and diverse community leadership structures. Health experts emphasize the need for clear messaging protocols, regular engagement, and resource allocation to support community-level activities.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which provides substantial immunization funding to Nigeria, has indicated support for community engagement strategies that demonstrably improve coverage rates. The organization's 2025-2030 strategic framework prioritizes "zero-dose" children—those who have received no vaccinations—many of whom reside in hard-to-reach communities where traditional authorities hold primary influence.
Nigeria's approach aligns with broader continental efforts to strengthen primary health care through community health worker programs and decentralized service delivery. The success of similar models in Rwanda and Ethiopia, where community health structures reduced child mortality by over 60% between 2000 and 2020, provides evidence for the potential impact of trusted local leadership in health outcomes.
The Federal Ministry of Health has not yet released detailed implementation timelines or resource commitments for the traditional and religious leader engagement program. Public health analysts will monitor whether the initiative translates into measurable improvements in vaccination coverage, antenatal care attendance, and early treatment-seeking behavior for preventable diseases across Nigeria's diverse epidemiological zones.