The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has called for a sustained commitment to improving health, nutrition, and security in Nigeria.
Speaking at the second quarterly review meeting of the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee on Primary Health Care Delivery (NTLC) on Tuesday in Abuja, the Sultan urged traditional rulers to maintain their support for polio eradication. He emphasized the importance of continued efforts to eliminate the disease from all communities.
He also called on the traditional rulers to remain committed to routine immunization and other pressing health challenges.
The sultan said their influence and leadership were vital in improving health outcomes and ensuring the success of public health initiatives.
He commended the NTLC’s achievements over the past 16 years, noting its success in mobilizing communities for vaccination campaigns and other health interventions.
“Any committee that has been meeting for the past 16 years and getting successes should be highly commended,” he said.
As patron of the NTLC, the Sultan commended federal and state governments for entrusting traditional leaders with the responsibility of selecting and supervising vaccinators.
He noted that the collaborative approach had significantly strengthened the effectiveness of immunization efforts.
According to the Sultan, this strategy has led to an increase in vaccination coverage by more than 25 percent in many areas.
He emphasized the importance of continuing the partnership to sustain and build on the progress made in public health delivery.
He called for the committee’s role to expand beyond health into addressing insecurity and other local challenges, stressing that traditional leaders were best positioned to engage communities directly.
“No matter how much drug you give somebody, if there’s no food or good nutrition, that drug will not work.
“Let people go back to their farms by providing security,” he warned.
On national security, he condemned ongoing killings, kidnappings, and attacks on worshippers, describing them as “totally unreligious” and against both Islamic and Christian teachings.
The sultan reaffirmed NTLC’s commitment to partnering with the government to promote health, food security, and national stability.
