The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed says the insinuation in certain quarters that Nigeria will seek donations for COVID-19 vaccines is incorrect.
According to Mohammed, Nigeria is expecting large number in batches of doses of COVID-19 vaccine brands in few weeks, which are being paid for.
The minister said some of the vaccines were procured through the African Union (AU) which had signed a COVID-19 vaccine procurement agreement for 400 million doses for member-states funded with loans from AFREXIMBANK.
“It is not correct that we are going cap in hand relying on donations, vaccines are not like bread that you can go to a shop and buy,” Mohammed said on Wednesday, as per NAN.
“There is what is called vaccine rationalisation. Even those countries that have the vaccines are not ready to sell.
“That is why we have to go through the AU to negotiate globally for the 400 million for the whole of Africa.
“We are not just expecting large number of doses of the vaccines which the government is paying for, but working toward the development of our home-grown vaccines,’’ he said.
