President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, directed the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, to work with the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to ensure the release of necessary funds for vaccine procurement.
He assured the Vaccine Alliance, GAVI, of Nigeria’s commitment to fulfilling its outstanding counterpart contributions for routine vaccines for 2023.
This came as GAVI offered Nigeria a $250m grant for local vaccine production.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, announced these directives in a statement on Thursday titled ‘President Tinubu to GAVI CEO: Nigerian manufacturers are capable and ready to produce vaccines.’
According to Ngelale, Tinubu asked GAVI, to collaborate with potential Nigerian vaccine manufacturers to ensure equitable access to life-saving vaccines for children and adults.
The Nigerian leader premised this request on the argument that local manufacturers are capable and ready to produce vaccines at scale.
“We have capable and talented people who can make the necessary contributions to the production of vaccines in Nigeria and the rest of Africa,’’ the President told a delegation of GAVI led by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Sania Nishtar, at the State House, Abuja.
