The Government of Japan, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, has donated $500,000 worth of commodities, equipment, surveillance tools, training, and emergency preparedness support to strengthen Nigeria's response to cholera outbreaks.
As part of the intervention, life-saving commodities valued at $104,951 were handed over to the Federal Government through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Abuja.
According to the WHO, the support aims to boost Nigeria's ability to detect, contain, and respond rapidly to outbreaks, thereby reducing illness and deaths.
Cholera remains a significant public health challenge in Nigeria.
Between January 1 and August 31, the country recorded 9,738 cases and 234 deaths across the 36 states and the FCT, with states in the North-East and North-West worst affected. The WHO puts Nigeria's Case Fatality Rate at 2.4 per cent.
Speaking at the handover event, the WHO Representative and Head of Mission to Nigeria, Dr. Pavel Ursu, said the donation came at a crucial time, noting that cholera transmission risks remain high in areas with poor access to clean water and sanitation.
"I would like to thank the government and people of Japan for their generous support. The $500,000 Japan grant, domiciled at the WHO, has catalysed health interventions that protect vulnerable Nigerians and strengthen the government's efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to emergencies," Ursu said. "This contribution is not just a shipment of supplies; it is a lifeline for communities at risk."
He explained that the donated cholera kit -- comprising 29 modules of medicines, equipment, logistics materials, and renewable supplies -- can support the treatment of 100 cholera cases during the first weeks of an outbreak.
It is one of 14 cholera kits procured under the Japan grant, alongside thousands of oral rehydration solutions and other essential materials.
The WHO representative added that the supplies would be deployed strategically to hotspots identified through surveillance and risk mapping, while the organisation continues to support surveillance strengthening, laboratory capacity, case management, and community hygiene promotion.
The Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, Suzuki Hideo, said the commodities were procured through Japan's Supplementary Budget Project on Cholera Outbreak Preparedness and Response in partnership with the WHO.
"The Government of Japan remains steadfast in its belief that every life is precious and that timely, coordinated action can prevent avoidable loss," Hideo said. "Today's handover demonstrates Japan's practical commitment to saving lives, strengthening health systems, and promoting community resilience."
He noted that the support includes diagnostic kits, rehydration supplies, logistics assistance, and hands-on training for health workers through nationwide cholera readiness workshops.
The workshops, he said, equip frontline workers with the skills needed for early detection and rapid intervention.
Hideo explained that Japan is simultaneously funding two other cholera-related projects in Nigeria -- one implemented through the UN Office for Project Services to provide medical equipment to the NCDC in Lagos, and another executed by the UN Industrial Development Organisation to train food vendors, water vendors, and waste workers in infection prevention.
Together, the three projects represent a total contribution of $1.72m.
In his keynote remarks, the Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, said the support aligns with Nigeria's National Strategic Plan of Action on Cholera Control (2025-2029) and will enhance treatment, detection, and rapid response at national and sub-national levels.
He said the donations include cholera central and periphery kits, Oral Rehydration Point kits, infection prevention and control materials, laboratory modules, diagnostic tools, sanitation hardware, logistics support, and supplies for treatment centres nationwide.
"These resources will significantly enhance our capacity for treatment, early detection, and rapid response. Cholera remains a recurrent threat driven by inadequate water and sanitation infrastructure, population displacement, insecurity, weak surveillance systems, and insufficient oral cholera vaccine coverage," Idris said.
He acknowledged Nigeria's progress in diagnostics, vaccine deployment, and multi-sectoral coordination, but added that antibiotic resistance and gaps in WASH infrastructure remain major challenges.
The WHO Emergency Team Lead, Ann Fortin, said 134 local governments had been identified as most at risk, with interventions already ongoing in priority areas.
"As of October 2025, all 36 states and the FCT have benefitted from cholera readiness training through a national training-of-trainers strategy," Fortin said. She added that essential medicines and commodities valued at $104,000 had been procured and that community-based surveillance activities were underway in LGAs in Kebbi and Sokoto.
She emphasised that while interventions focus on the 134 high-priority LGAs, the ultimate goal is to reduce cholera transmission and deaths across all rural communities.