A former member of the House of Representatives, Wale Okediran, has warned that insurgency in Northern Nigeria has denied children and infants access to life-saving immunisation, exposing them to preventable diseases over the past five years.
Okediran made the disclosure on Thursday while speaking on the Oyo State-owned Broadcasting Corporation programme, “Guest Platform,” aired in Ibadan, the state capital.
His comments came amid renewed security concerns following a deadly attack on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, where gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram launched a violent assault, killing residents and razing several houses.
According to reports, the attackers, believed to be operating from the Borgu National Park forest in neighbouring Niger State, stormed the communities around 6:00 pm, firing sporadically and forcing residents to flee in panic.
Okediran warned that unless the security situation improves, child and infant mortality rates could rise, alongside outbreaks of epidemics caused by missed vaccinations.
“Boko Haram’s onslaught has restricted the movement of people across many states in Northern Nigeria. This has affected commerce and drastically reduced internally generated revenue,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s past unity, the former lawmaker lamented the deterioration of safety in the region.
“The North of Nigeria used to be a place many of us loved visiting. The railway system unified the country, and movement was peaceful.
Many prominent Nigerians, including the late Chief Bola Ige, were born and raised in the North,” Okediran noted.
He added that insurgency has turned the region into a difficult and unsafe place over the last decade.
Drawing from personal experience while researching his book, Madagali, Okediran said he witnessed firsthand the devastation caused by Boko Haram insurgency, especially its impact on education and healthcare.
“What worries me most as a health practitioner is that for years, we have not been able to immunise many children in the North. When you examine Nigeria’s vaccination indices, the North always ranks lowest,” he said.
Okediran further stressed that out-of-school children, declining agricultural activities, and weakened health indicators are all consequences of prolonged insecurity.
He expressed optimism that collaboration between Nigeria and foreign partners could help stem insurgency and restore stability to the region.
“I am hopeful that with sustained security efforts, the North will regain its lost glory,” he concluded.
