VACCINE PREVENTABLE DISEASES IN NIGERIA THE QUEST FOR SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Prelude
I thank the Local Organizing Committee for choosing me as this year’s lecturer at the Academy’s Annual Lecture and Induction Ceremony. When I was given the opportunity to choose a topic I suggested speaking on epidemic meningococcal meningitis in West Africa with emphasis on Nigeria, but the Organizing Committee and Council were of the view that a wider topic on “Vaccine preventable diseases in Nigeria: The quest for self-sufficiency” would be more appropriate, hence the title of today’s lecture. I was not too happy because I held the view that such a lecture by our esteemed professional Academy should offer the lecturer (and Fellows of the Academy) the opportunity to showcase research by them on topics they had worked on. But just as well, because in the course of developing the topic I realized that I literally had to go back to school on the subject matter. As a result, I am all the more enlightened myself on vaccine preventable diseases in Nigeria.
