Katsina State government is taking the policy of providing free vaccinations for newborn babies one step further by removing the burden on mothers with infants to transport themselves to the hospital.
The state government is incentivising mothers with N1,000 in transport for each hospital visit.
Patients also spoke about other free services offered by the administration of Governor Dikko Radda.
Charity Okere, a mother of three, is a resident of Katsina city and an indigene of Anambra State. She was at the health clinic in Kofar Kaura on Monday, 10th August, 2026, to immunise her youngest child. It is a process she has undergone before.
The Comprehensive Health Centre in Kofar Kaura, Katsina City, is more commonly known as Kofar Kaura Hospital.
In the past, in southwestern Nigeria, where she previously lived, Okere would have paid N200 for her baby’s immunisation. According to her, that was the standard immunisation cost in 2022.
But in Katsina State, the state government has paid her N1,000 to immunise her toddler. She is not the only one.
Dozens of new mothers, mostly indigenous to the state, were also in the queue to immunise their babies. Dozens more had gone through the process by the time her turn came.
And it wasn’t just the immunisation itself. It also involved documenting the mother’s immunisation and providing photo evidence that the N1,000 had been paid to them.
Asked how much she paid, Okere said that she was the one who was paid instead. She said, “Hey, give N1,000 for every immunisation visit. I don’t know how much I would normally pay for immunisation at the hospital in the state.
“But in the Southwest, where I lived, it was N200 for every immunisation back in 2022. Since I came to Katsina, we have had no immunisation.”
Maryam Sani, another patient and neighbourhood immunisation, had had a similar experience with the N1,000 received from the hospital management team at every immunisation appointment.
Dr Shema’u Kabir, the Acting Executive Director of the Katsina State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, explained the state’s policy on vaccines and the N1,000 payments to the mothers.
The reasoning, she said, was to cover transportation costs.
Governor Dikko Radda, according to Dr Shema’u, has a general policy of providing free medical care for pregnant women until delivery and for all immunisation for infants under the age of five.
Dr Shema’u looked at the immunisation of babies in specific hospitals. In drawing up plans, she said the state government relied on the state’s projected population to determine its target population for mothers and infants.
The free medical services offered by the state, however, extend beyond immunisation for infants and care for pregnant women. The
Free medication unimmunization Revolving Fund Scheme for basic health conditions is a major part of the state’s policy—patients who frequent state-owned health facilities testify to its benefits.
Zainab Suleiman, a patient, frequently visits Kofar Kaura Hospital whenever she feels unwell.
She was also there when our reporter visited to speak with patients about the state government’s health policies and subsidies for residents.
Suleiman, who lives behind ATC in the Kofar Kaura neighbourhood, said she recently fell ill and that, if it weren’t for the free drugs offered by the government, she would not have known who to turn to.
She had initially thought she wouldn’t get the drugs to treat her illness. Without specifying the kind of illness, Suleiman said that in the past, she had received free drugs to treat herself. Even when the drugs were not available at the health centre, Suleiman said she usually left her phone number with hospital officials, who would later call her whenever they had the drugs.
