Nigerian Manufacturers Ready To Produce Vaccines, Tinubu Tells Gavi CEO

President Bola Tinubu has urged Gavi, the vaccine alliance, to partner with potential Nigerian vaccine manufacturers.

Naija News reports that the President made this call during a meeting at the State House in Abuja on Thursday, with a delegation from Gavi led by its Chief Executive Officer, Sania Nishtar.

Highlighting the importance of this partnership, President Tinubu referenced the difficulties encountered by developing nations, notably during the COVID-19 pandemic and other infectious disease outbreaks.

A statement released by the Special Adviser on Media to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, detailed Tinubu’s commitment to clearing Nigeria’s outstanding counterpart contributions for routine vaccines for the year 2023.

Emphasizing his administration’s health sector priorities, President Tinubu affirmed, “We are focused on ensuring that no child is left behind when it comes to vaccination against preventable childhood diseases.”

Gavi CEO Sania Nishtar lauded the Nigerian government for its progressive health-sector strategies, which include an increased health budget allocation to 4.6 percent and the initiative to provide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines for adolescent girls.

She revealed Gavi’s promise of a $250 million grant to Nigeria to bolster the country’s vaccination efforts.

Nishtar highlighted Gavi’s commitment to combating vaccine inequity in Africa through the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator program.

This initiative, with an allocation of $1 billion, is designed to foster the sustainable development of Africa’s vaccine manufacturing capacity, ensuring that the continent can meet its vaccine needs independently.

This partnership is expected to pave the way for the development of a robust vaccine manufacturing sector in Nigeria, enhancing the country’s ability to respond effectively to current and future health challenges.