Sunday, July 24, 2016 will mark the second year since a polio case was recorded in Nigeria.

The last case was reported on July 24, 2014.

And to mark the milestone, President Muhammadu Buhari in a statement on Saturday congratulated all stakeholders that have made the achievement possible and those who he said have worked tirelessly to maintain the effort and permanently halt new polio cases in the country.

He said the next major milestone for the country is the certification of polio-free status in 2017 by the World Health Organisation, urging all concerned not to rest in their oars.

The President promised that his administration will continue to ensure timely release of required funds for the eradication of the disease.

He identified the downturn in the nation’s economy and insecurity in some states as some of the challenges facing the nation’s desire to completely eradicate the wild polio virus, but added that his administration remained firm in its commitment towards making Nigeria a polio-free nation by sustaining routine immunisation and the revitalisation of primary health care system.

President Buhari expressed his gratitude to the various organizations that has partnered with the country in the effort to rid the nation of polio disease and urged them not to relent in their commitment, adding that “Together we can achieve our vision to make polio a thing of the past.”