No fewer than 130 leaders of the Kano State Tricycle Associations Forum have pledged strong support for routine immunisation following a sensitisation engagement organised under the Better Opportunities for Optimal Services and Targeted Immunisation for Zero-Dose and Under-Immunised Children (BOOST) Project.
The sensitisation session, held at the Kano State Library Main Hall, was implemented by Save the Children International with funding support from GSK, in collaboration with the Kano State Community of Practice on Immunisation, Budget Tracking, Advocacy, and Accountability.
The engagement targeted members of the Kano State Tricycle Associations Forum (Kungiyoyin ‘Yan Adaidaita Sahu), one of the largest male-dominated associations in the state, with an estimated membership of over 200,000 operators.
The initiative aimed to mobilise tricycle operators to leverage their daily interactions with passengers, families, and community members to promote routine immunisation, boost vaccine acceptance, and address persistent household and social barriers—particularly resistance from male heads of households that hinder immunisation uptake.
Speaking during the session,the BOOST Project Advocacy Officer, Umar Ibrahim Umar, emphasised the importance of leveraging trusted community platforms to improve access to life-saving vaccines.
He highlighted the strategic role of transport workers as influential community actors who can help ensure that more children especially those in underserved and peri-urban communities receive routine immunisation services.
Chairman of the Online Road Transport Association of Nigeria, Comrade Auwal Habib Khalid, noted that the sensitisation had helped to clear misconceptions about vaccination. He pledged the association’s full cooperation in achieving the project’s objectives.
Also speaking, the Secretary of the Amalgamated Commercial Tricycle, Motorcycle Owners, Repairers and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORON) revealed that BOOST Project representatives had earlier engaged with their members.
He described vaccines as life-saving and assured that members would cascade the knowledge gained to others, particularly in rural areas, to improve vaccine uptake.
Similarly, the Co-Chair of the Kano Community of Practice, Comrade Salisu Yusuf, stressed the importance of engaging tricycle riders due to their strategic role in society.
He noted that many riders commute daily from rural areas, making them key channels for disseminating accurate information that can help reduce the number of zero-dose children.
Participants were sensitised on the benefits of immunisation, the routine immunisation schedule, and the urgent need to tackle the high burden of zero-dose and under-immunised children in Kano State.
The session also featured updates on efforts to develop a Kano State-specific Immunisation Policy, highlighting the importance of community input in shaping sustainable health interventions.
At the end of the engagement, the leadership of the Kano State Tricycle Associations Forum formally signed a commitment statement, affirming their resolve to champion routine immunisation within their unions and communities.
Key commitments include promoting immunisation awareness among members and passengers, supporting the identification and referral of zero-dose children, encouraging male involvement to address household resistance, and actively participating in the development and dissemination of the Kano State-specific Immunisation Policy.
The union leaders also pledged to institutionalise immunisation advocacy within their regular meetings and activities, collaborate closely with the BOOST Project and the Community of Practice, and serve as accountable partners in tracking progress toward improved immunisation outcomes.
The engagement marks a significant milestone in strengthening community-led action and male involvement in improving child health outcomes in Kano State. By harnessing the extensive reach and influence of tricycle operators, the BOOST Project continues to drive inclusive and sustainable solutions to ensure that no child is left behind in routine immunisation.
The BOOST Project—Better Opportunities for Optimal Services and Targeted Immunisation for Zero-Dose and Under-Immunised Children—is implemented by Save the Children International with funding from GSK.
The project supports government and community stakeholders to improve routine immunisation coverage, strengthen accountability, and reduce the number of zero-dose and under-immunised children in Nigeria.