The House of Representatives, on Wednesday, called on the Federal Government to urgently embark on a vaccination exercise across schools nationwide to address the scourge of diphtheria.
The House’s decision followed the consideration and adoption of a motion of urgent public importance at plenary, sponsored by the House spokesman, Mr Akin Rotimi.
Titled, “The outbreak of diphtheria in King’s College, Lagos,” the bill seeks to draw the government’s attention to the need to prevent the spread of the bacterial disease which has reportedly claimed the life of a student in Lagos.
Speaking on the substance of the motion, Rotimi noted with concern, the outbreak of diphtheria in the boarding house of King’s College, Victoria Island Annexe, Lagos, which he said “has regrettably resulted in the demise of a 12-year-old student and the hospitalisation of several others.”
He noted that “from week 19 of 2022 to week 04 of 2025, there were 24,804 confirmed cases of diphtheria across 25 states in Nigeria, according to data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control Weekly Diphtheria Situation Report of January, 26, 2025.
“There were 1,269 fatalities across 18 states, with some states having as high as 80-83 per cent Case Fatality Rate.”
He continued, “The House is concerned that this unfortunate incident exposes significant lapses in infection prevention and control measures in federal unity colleges and underscores the Federal Ministry of Education’s responsibility to ensure the health and safety of students in its institutions.”
He commended the Lagos State Government for activating the Emergency Operations Committee, isolating and treating affected students and initiating a mass vaccination campaign to contain the spread of the disease.
He also lauded the role of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency in curtailing the spread of the disease.
Following the adoption of the motion, the House directed the Federal Ministry of Health, the NPHCDA, and the NCDC to intensify diphtheria vaccination and awareness campaigns in schools across the country to prevent future outbreaks.
It also urged the Federal Ministry of Education to undertake an urgent and comprehensive review of health infrastructure in unity colleges and “establish a clear and effective framework for responding to infectious disease outbreaks in educational institutions.”
The House also urged the Federal Ministry of Education to take immediate and decisive measures to strengthen health and safety protocols in all federal unity colleges, with particular attention to addressing the situation at King’s College.
The House mandated its Committees on Health and Basic Education to engage with relevant agencies, including the NCDC, to assess and enhance infection prevention and emergency response measures in federal schools.
It further directed the Federal Ministry of Education to undertake an urgent and comprehensive review of health infrastructure in unity colleges and establish a clear and effective framework for responding to infectious disease outbreaks in educational institutions.
Finally, the House urged the Federal Government to provide appropriate compensation to the family of the deceased student, in recognition of the tragic loss suffered and the duty of care owed to students in federal institutions.
