The Federal Government has commissioned a $406,000 Central Cold Chain store in Maiduguri, Borno State, built to safeguard vaccines for residents across the state and neighbouring areas.
Speaking during the unveiling on Friday, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammed Pate, said the store was reconstructed following the 2024 floods that submerged the facility, destroying vaccines and the infrastructure.
Represented by the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Muyi Aina, the Minister described the newly constructed facility as bigger and better, adding that it now has more space, greater flexibility, and is solar-powered.
He said, “I am here on behalf of the coordinating minister, Professor Pate. The last time I was on this property was in September 2024, when the flood occurred. What happened to this store at the time was devastating.
“Together as partners—including the Borno State Government, the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, my coordinating minister, and our partners—we have restored it bigger, better, and more resilient. You can see that vaccines are now stored upstairs.
“We do not pray for another flood, but the space is now larger, flexible, and solar-powered. We are very proud of what we have achieved, and I know this will significantly impact our collective goal for the children of Borno and its environs,” he added.
Speaking on his part, the UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Francis Bitchi, said the $406,000 project was funded by the governments of Germany and Canada.
He said, “An investment of approximately $406,000 has transformed this facility into a stronger and more resilient hub for immunisation delivery.
“With funding from the Government of Germany (BMZ/KfW) and CanGive (Government of Canada), and under the leadership of the Borno State Government with UNICEF technical support, this facility has been fully renovated and structurally upgraded.”
Describing its features, Bitchi noted that it has been converted into a climate-resilient complex and equipped with a 64KVA solar power system to ensure an uninterrupted cold chain.
He emphasised that after the flooding, nearly one million vaccine doses were lost, with half of the cold chain equipment destroyed.
“The impact threatened immunisation services for all 27 LGAs, serving approximately 7.5 million people,” he said.
According to him, the facility is now “restocked with nearly one million vaccine doses, with lost data tools and essential commodities replaced, and strengthened with improved storage racks and conference facilities.”
“The cold chain store will support immunisation in all 27 local government areas in the state, outbreak response readiness, zero-dose reduction strategies, and vaccine security for hard-to-reach populations,” he added.
Bitchi, however, called for continued investment in cold chain maintenance and multimedia facilities for training and coordination.
“Strengthening logistics systems to ensure last-mile delivery, recruitment and retention of health workers—especially in hard-to-reach areas—and timely release of critical health financing mechanisms, including the Child Nutrition Fund,” he stressed.
He reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to working with the Federal Government, Borno State, and other partners to ensure that every child in the state has access to life-saving immunisation and quality primary health care services.
Punch