“Nigeria to receive 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine”

The federal government has revealed that the country will receive 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

Faisal Shuaib, executive secretary, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, broke the news at the presidential task force on COVID-19 media briefing in Abuja on Thursday.

He said Nigeria is a member of COVAX, an international coalition, under the WHO umbrella.

Shuaib added that 92 countries came together to ensure access and safety of vaccines.

He said the expected 20 million doses will first be given to workers in the health sector and vulnerable citizens.

“We are on course to access safe vaccine in the first quarter of 2021. We will be leveraging on the polio platform to ensure effective delivery of vaccines to our vulnerable population,” he said.

“We have established a supra-ministerial advisory committee to ensure a seamless administration. A technical group meets every week and has devised a risk communication plan to deliver safe vaccines to Nigerians.”

Former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had yesterday revealed that Nigeria will be able to access COVID-19 vaccines from the end of January through the first quarter of 2021.

Okonjo-Iweala who is currently the African Union Special Envoy on mobilizing international economic support for the continental fight against COVID-19 and Nigeria’s candidate for the Office of the Director-General of the World Trade Organization disclosed this during a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama in Abuja on Monday, December 7.

A statement released by the Ministry quotes Okonjo-Iweala as saying the Pfizer vaccine and the AstraZeneca were presently being negotiated so that poor countries don’t have to stand in line behind rich countries.