A fast-spreading cholera outbreak in Borno State has killed 37 people and infected more than 3,000 others across seven local government areas, prompting urgent calls from northern lawmakers for a coordinated national emergency response.
The Northern Senators Forum warned that the situation is rapidly escalating into a major public health crisis that could overwhelm already strained health facilities if containment measures are not urgently intensified ahead of the peak rainy season.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Chairman of the Forum, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’adua, described the outbreak as a “serious and unfolding public health emergency” requiring immediate and sustained intervention from federal and state authorities.
The lawmakers expressed deep concern over the spread of the disease in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and Jere Local Government Area, which have emerged as the epicentres of the outbreak, with infections also reported in Mafa, Konduga, Monguno, Ngala and Magumeri.
According to the Forum, rising case numbers are already putting pressure on health infrastructure, particularly in communities with limited access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene services.
The senators urged the Federal Government to deploy emergency medical teams, strengthen disease surveillance systems, and supply essential treatment materials to affected areas to curb further deaths.
They also pressed for the urgent rollout of oral cholera vaccines in high-risk locations, especially internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, which they identified as particularly vulnerable due to overcrowding and poor sanitation conditions.
Beyond immediate medical response, the lawmakers stressed the need for large-scale water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions, warning that contaminated water sources and unsafe waste disposal practices remain key drivers of transmission.
They further called for an aggressive public awareness campaign to educate residents on preventive measures, including proper handwashing, safe food handling, and early reporting of symptoms to health facilities.
While acknowledging the efforts of the Borno State Ministry of Health and international partners such as the World Health Organization, UNICEF and Médecins Sans Frontières, the Forum insisted that only a stronger federal emergency intervention can prevent the outbreak from worsening.
The development comes amid growing concerns from health experts that recurring cholera outbreaks in northern Nigeria are being fuelled by weak sanitation infrastructure, flooding, and overcrowded settlements—conditions that continue to expose millions to preventable disease outbreaks.
“The health and safety of our people must remain our collective priority,” the senators said, urging swift action to avert a broader humanitarian emergency.