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How MSF supported the fight against the meningitis outbreak in northwest Nigeria

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How MSF supported the fight against the meningitis outbreak in northwest Nigeria

By: Michael Mike

For several weeks, MSF teams in Northwest Nigeria battled a meningitis outbreak, providing vital care for hundreds of patients and supporting a mass vaccination campaign. It was a mobilization that significantly contributed to saving lives and reducing the number of cases.


In the first days of February 2025, many men, women, and children in northwestern Nigeria suddenly became very ill. Some experienced convulsions or became unconscious. For those affected, the cause of the mystery disease was not immediately clear.


“I woke up one morning with pain in the neck, stiffness in one leg, and back pain,” said 26-year-old Aisha Faruq, while recovering in the MSF-supported General Hospital of Gwandu, a local government area (LGA) in Kebbi, the most northwestern state of Nigeria. “I vaguely remember what happened next, like going to school. That’s where I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was here.”
As hospitals filled with patients, MSF health educators connected with the hardest hit communities to raise awareness and direct residents to MSF-supported medical facilities.
“Initially, community members often thought they had contracted malaria, as they were suffering from fever and headache,” said David Musa, an MSF community health educator in Gwandu. “But some distinct symptoms such as neck stiffness or brain swelling in infants alerted health professionals that we were dealing with something else.”
Soon after, the cause was officially confirmed: meningitis was behind the surge in admissions to health facilities in Kebbi and Sokoto states.


Rapid care is vital
Meningitis is considered a major global health threat. According to a study based on 2021 data and published in The Lancet, more than 2 million cases of meningitis are estimated to occur globally each year, with over 200,000 resulting in death. 
The disease, which records recurrent outbreaks in the vast African belt area stretching from Senegal to Ethiopia – known as the “meningitis belt” – is highly lethal if left untreated. Studies show that 50 to 80 percent of patients may die without prompt medical care.


Meningitis can be caused by viral or bacterial infections and spreads from person to person by respiratory droplets, throat secretions, or by faecal contamination. Bacterial meningitis – commonly found in Nigeria – is the most serious type of meningitis and can cause inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord.


To help authorities respond to this very dangerous outbreak, MSF teams in Kebbi and Sokoto states quickly provided support by deploying staff and medical supplies to hard-hit areas, expanding bed capacity in several health facilities, training medical staff from the state ministries of health, and launching awareness-raising campaigns.


“In Kebbi, where most cases were reported, we admitted over 500 patients in the first 12 days of our intervention in the LGAs of Gwandu, Jega, and Aliero,” said Dr. Sham’un Abubakar, MSF’s emergency coordinator in Kebbi. “Even with the additional beds we installed, we had to place mattresses on the floor to accommodate the overflow of patients.”


Over a nine-week period, 2,095 patients were admitted for meningitis in the facilities supported by MSF in Kebbi.
In neighbouring Sokoto state, MSF teams supported case management (including remote assistance), training, and the supply of medical supplies in five primary health care centres and two general hospitals in Tambuwal LGA. 


By early May, MSF teams in Sokoto had treated a total of 880 meningitis patients in MSF-supported facilities.
Meningitis can affect people of all ages, but the highest proportion of reported cases is among children aged 1 to 15 years. Children under the age of five, due to their weaker immune systems, are especially at high risk of dying.


“Unfortunately, survivors are also at risk of developing long-term neurological and cognitive problems,” said Dr. Abubakar. “Patients may suffer hearing loss, vision problems, and seizures, as well as increased pressure on the skull and brain. Many survivors also remain at risk of experiencing a stroke.”


Ten-month-old Sha’ayau was admitted to the Jega General Hospital in late April with multiple symptoms, including brain swelling. He was discharged many days later but referred to a specialist to evaluate potential neurological complications.
“His older brother was hospitalized [for meningitis] weeks ago,” said his mother, Saratu Hamza. “But now he has lost his hearing.”


A mass vaccination campaign
While providing rapid treatment is key to preventing fatalities and long-term consequences, fighting meningitis also requires vaccinating as many people as possible to break the transmission chain. 
“Conducting a mass vaccination is essential, as it provides immunity against the disease for up to five to eight years, hence significantly reducing the risk of infection – even in the event of another outbreak,” said Dr. Abubakar.


In Kebbi state, MSF teams partnered with UNICEF and WHO to support the state Ministry of Health in setting up an immunization campaign. In just one week, close to half a million people were vaccinated, with two thirds of them under the age of 15.
While official figures are still being compiled, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) recorded more than 4,000 meningitis cases nationwide between early February and early May. Seventy percent of those cases were treated in MSF-supported facilities in Kebbi and Sokoto states.


Today, thanks in large part to MSF’s swift and effective response, the number of cases in both states has declined, and our teams could gradually wind down emergency responses and transition back to routine treatment and regular medical activities, continuing to support Ministry of Health staff.

How MSF supported the fight against the meningitis outbreak in northwest Nigeria

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RHI Presents Food Items to Vulnerable Groups in Yobe State

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RHI Presents Food Items to Vulnerable Groups in Yobe State


…Making it the 20th State to Benefit from the Support

By: Our Reporter

The Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Food Outreach Program, launched in Abuja in March 2024 to provide monthly support to vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities, has reached Yobe State—making it the 20th state to benefit from the initiative.
Since its inception, the program has covered Abia, Adamawa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Oyo, Plateau, and Sokoto States before arriving in Yobe.
With generous support from the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) and another industrialist who prefers to remain anonymous, assorted food items were delivered, bringing relief to many households, particularly those with disabilities.


The First Lady and Chairman of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, noted that donors provide two truckloads of food items to each beneficiary state for onward distribution. Represented by the Wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, she highlighted Yobe as a major beneficiary of RHI programs and interventions.
These include:

  • The Tony Elumelu Foundation Women Economists Empowerment Program, which supported 500 women with ₦50,000 each.
  • The RHI Women Agricultural Support Scheme, where 20 women received ₦500,000 each.
  • A ₦68.9 million grant from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to the Young Farmers Club.
  • Annual financial support to senior citizens, with 100 beneficiaries receiving ₦100,000 each in 2023 and 250 beneficiaries receiving ₦200,000 each.
  • A ₦50 million financial grant to 1,000 petty traders.
  • The Women in ICT Program, aimed at empowering women in the digital economy.
    According to Senator Tinubu, these interventions are designed to complement the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
    Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni represented by his Deputy Governor, Alhaji Idi Barde Gubana reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the initiative, noting that the state has aligned with RHI through various empowerment programs for women, children, and vulnerable groups. These include the distribution of household items, skill acquisition schemes, and post-insurgency recovery programs that have economically empowered many women.

  • The State Coordinator of RHI and Wife of the Yobe State Governor, Hajiya Hafsat Kollere Buni, expressed gratitude to the First Lady for extending such impactful support to Yobe State. She also looked forward to stronger collaborations to further project the ideals of RHI and improve the lives of the people.
    Also present at the event was Dr. Ubong Udoh, Managing Director of the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative, one of the key donors to the program.
  • RHI Presents Food Items to Vulnerable Groups in Yobe State
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Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency

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Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency

By: Zagazola Makama

Former National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.), has warned that Nigeria’s fight against insurgency will remain elusive without national cohesion and a united front across society.

Monguno stated this in Abuja on Thursday at the launch of Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a new book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd.).

He said Boko Haram and other violent groups had thrived by exploiting Nigeria’s divisions, stressing that disunity among citizens, political actors, and institutions weakened the country’s capacity to defeat terrorism.

“Without national cohesion, insurgency will not end. Terrorists feed on our fault lines – ethnic, religious, political – and they weaponise them against us. If we remain divided, no amount of military might will deliver lasting peace,” Monguno said.

He urged Nigerians to rise above parochial sentiments and embrace a spirit of patriotism, solidarity, and common purpose. According to him, the fight against insurgency must go beyond the battlefield to include reconciliation, justice, and inclusive governance.

The retired General emphasised that the scars left by Boko Haram were not just physical but also psychological and social, making unity a vital condition for national healing.

“The book reminds us that security is not just the work of soldiers. It is the responsibility of leaders, institutions, and citizens. Unless we build cohesion, insurgency will continue to mutate in different forms,” he added.

Monguno commended Gen. Irabor for documenting his experience, describing the work as a guide that combines history, strategy, and national lessons for the future.

The event was attended by former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of Defence, service chiefs, traditional rulers, diplomats, and senior government officials.

Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency

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Kukah says military operations alone cannot end insurgency, stresses soft power approach

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Kukah says military operations alone cannot end insurgency, stresses soft power approach

By: Zagazola Makama

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, has said Nigeria cannot defeat insurgency through military operations alone, stressing the need to embrace soft power and address root causes of insecurity.

Kukah made this known in Abuja on Thursday while reviewing Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a new book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd.).

He said the country’s reliance on military doctrines and repeated counter-insurgency operations had failed to produce lasting peace because Boko Haram represented an ideology, not just an armed threat.

“For years, we have had Operation Lafiya Dole, Operation Restore Order, Operation Hadin Kai, Operation Safe Haven, and many others. Yet, when one operation fails, another is launched. These operations have not ended the insurgency because you cannot fight an idea with weapons alone,” Kukah said.

The cleric argued that describing the insurgency only in military terms forecloses other sources of information and non-kinetic solutions that are critical to peacebuilding.

According to him, Boko Haram’s struggle is framed as a jihad, and many of its fighters see death as martyrdom, making them indifferent to conventional deterrence.

“The challenge before us is not merely about defeating insurgents on the battlefield, but about understanding the soft issues of life and death. Guns cannot build peace; soft power must complement military power,” he said.

Kukah pointed to chapters 11, 12 and 13 of Irabor’s book, which emphasise reconciliation, good governance, justice, and national healing as critical conditions for security.

He praised the author’s reflections for going beyond military strategy, describing them as “the writings of a priest” that call for dialogue, reforms and moral renewal.

The bishop added that Nigeria must prioritise structural reforms, political inclusion, patriotism, and judicial integrity to tackle grievances that feed extremism.

“The urgency now is to invest in soft power – in human development, reconciliation, and building trust in institutions. Military operations can only create space; it is ideas and justice that will sustain peace,” Kukah said.

The event attracted former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, senior government officials, service chiefs, diplomats, and other dignitaries.
End

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