By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
The Bauchi State House of Assembly has strengthened legislative commitment to routine immunization through coordinated budgetary action and oversight, driven by data and evidence from engagements with the Zero Dose Learning Hub (ZDLH) and its Community of Practice (CoP).
This was part of the feedback from the State legislature, during a media parley with select group of Journalists, on the impact of the activities of Zero Dose Learning Hub (ZDLH) and its Community of Practice (CoP) held at the Bauchi State House of Assembly on Wednesday 18th, December 2025.
Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Hon. Lawan Dauda, said ZDLH engagements helped lawmakers translate immunization data into practical policy and budget decisions, particularly as Bauchi accounts for 13 zero-dose LGAs.
He noted that evidence from immunization scorecards reshaped oversight priorities, enabling the Assembly to focus on fund releases, outreach activities, vaccine availability, and cold chain functionality in underserved communities.
Complementing this, Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Mohammed Wanzam, explained that ZDLH-provided data was instrumental in defending and harmonizing a fully state-funded immunization allocation of about ₦872 million in the 2025 budget.
According to him, the evidence reframed immunization from a routine health item to a core development and human capital investment, aligned with national commitments such as the Lagos Declaration.
Hon. Wanzam said the Appropriation Committee resisted pressure to cut immunization funding, insisting on a dedicated budget line and structuring releases to match quarterly workplans.
He added that strengthened collaboration among the Health, Appropriation, and Public Accounts Committees has shifted oversight from nominal allocations to tracking actual releases and utilization.
Both lawmakers noted that the full release of the 2025 immunization budget demonstrates growing political will and legislative accountability.
They said the move to a 100 percent state-funded immunization basket enhances sustainability and positions Bauchi as a leading example of domestically financed immunization in Nigeria.
Responding, the Bauchi State focal person of the African Health Budget Network (AHBN) and implementing partner of the Zero Dose Learning Hub (ZDLH), Dr. Hassan Shu’aibu, expressed the Network’s appreciation for the strong support the State Legislature has consistently extended to AHBN’s activities.
He expressed optimism about the Legislature’s capacity to sustain effective oversight aimed at reversing Bauchi State’s zero-dose status, noting that throughout the two years of AHBN–ZDLH implementation, the State Assembly has remained accessible and responsive whenever the Network sought legislative engagement or support.