Nigeria has experienced recurrent outbreaks of diphtheria, a severe and highly contagious vaccine-preventable bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Outbreaks occurred in 2011, 2022, 2023, and 2024, with recent flare-ups and fatalities reported in Plateau, Niger, Katsina, Zamfara, and Kano states, as well as heightened surveillance in Lagos and Benue. Children aged 1 to 14 years are most affected, particularly those who have missed routine childhood immunizations. Health authorities attribute persistent transmission to historical gaps in vaccination coverage, and over 2,200 deaths have been recorded this year alone, prompting school closures in some areas.
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