Nigeria is not on the red list of countries that must be quarantined for 14 days in a controlled UK facility, the Federal Government assured Nigerians on Tuesday.

It should be noted that the UK government has agreed with a press statement issued last week that Nigerians will continue to isolate themselves after they get in the UK.

Dr. Faisal Shuaib, the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), speaking on behalf of the Federal government, said that this is identical to our demand that visitors from the United Kingdom be isolated for seven days upon arriving in Nigeria.

He gave this assurance at a news briefing on the progress of COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday in Abuja.

NPHCDA boss stated that , ” The Presidential Steering Committee is in the process of reviewing these requirements. We have been in touch with the UK Government. Just like they stated clearly in their communication, the current listing of Countries with approved vaccination certification has just started in the UK.

“They are reviewing the Country’s programs in phases. If you go through the list of 50 closely, no African country made the list. The UK Government is yet to comprehensively review Nigeria’s vaccination certification program. From my communication with the UK Government officials, the vaccines administered in Nigeria are approved by the UK Government. They are also involved with the vaccination program in Nigeria through the Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) and they are optimistic that by the time Nigeria’s COVID-19 vaccination program certification is assessed, it will be approved.

“There are many Countries in the World, so we like many other Countries are in the queue for this assessment. Once it gets to our turn, we are more likely than not to get approved in the coming weeks. Like the UK Government have clearly stated, the process of assessment would occur in phases.

“As at yesterday, the 4th of October 2021, Nigeria had vaccinated 4,963,985 eligible persons across the country with first dose of COVID-19 vaccines. This figure represents 4.4% of the targeted 111,776,503 eligible population. About 2,166,186 people have received their second doses of the vaccines. This means that approximately 1.9% of eligible populated is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. It is imperative to reiterate the fact that only those who have taken their second dose are fully protected against the deadly COVID-19”.

Similarly, the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative (WR), Dr Walter Mulombo Kazadi commended Nigeria on vaccines distribution.

He said other countries will come to Nigeria to learn the act of vaccine distribution.

Meanwhile, the UNICEF Nigeria Representative, Peter Hawkins said Nigeria still need to increase the number of people vaccinated per day from 100,000 to 300,000 per day, if we must meet the target.

Hawkins who was represented at the occasion by Dr. Dorothy Ochola said the number of people vaccinated daily has increased the daily average to about 100,000

He also advised that COVID-19 vaccine should be integrated into routine immunization so that it can be easily accessed.

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angelique Kidjo and other African influencers today signed an open letter to G20 leaders calling on them to urgently donate COVID-19 vaccines to Africa.

Saying, “Many rich countries are already on track, yet just a fraction of Africans are fully vaccinated. 

COVID-19 deaths are declining almost everywhere except in Africa, where they are rising,” the letter warns.

“Rich nations have pledged to donate over a billion vaccines this year and hundreds of millions more in 2022, as well as supporting Africa to manufacture and buy its own vaccines. This gives us hope, but most of these promises remain unfulfilled. Africa cannot wait. We need doses now,” the letter urges. 

Top Nigerians in the field of business and entertainment joined the call, including musician and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Femi Kuti, business leader and philanthropist Tony Elumelu; musician and UNICEF Nigerian Ambassador Cobhams Asuquo; actor and producer Genevieve Nnaji, and actor Daniel Etim Effiong.

 
The signatories are asking fellow Africans to support the letter over the next month in the run up to the G20 meetings in Rome at the end of October.

Also, Nigerian singer and songwriter David Adedeji Adeleke (Davido) issued a special video message urging that vaccines are shared fairly with Africa, saying “For this pandemic to truly end, it has to end everywhere. Africans must have their fair access to the vaccines. This is the only way the Covid-19 can get out of here. As an African, as a Nigerian, I support UNICEF’s call on governments with excess doses to share them now. Let us join hands together to ensure fair access to vaccines for everyone.”

World leaders recently set a target that every country should vaccinate 70 per cent of its population. Some wealthy countries have already met or exceeded this target. But across Africa, only 4 per cent of the population are fully vaccinated, with vastly accelerated dose-sharing the only option to protect people from the worst effects of the virus.

The open letter reads, “This inequity is unjust. It is also self-defeating. It leaves Africans – and the whole world – at the mercy of the virus. Unchecked, it can create new and more dangerous variants.”

Angelique Kidjo, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador said, “I want the most at risk Africans to be safe, to not die or end up in hospital with COVID-19 because they didn’t have access to vaccines. The only way that is possible is to urgently vaccinate much higher numbers of people in African countries – and we need doses and support for vaccine roll outs to do that quickly enough.”

Countries with excess doses have pledged to donate a billion vaccines this year and hundreds of millions more in 2022, as well as support Africa to manufacture and buy its own vaccines.

“I am calling on my fellow Africans to get behind this letter, to support the Call from Africa,” said Angelique Kidjo. “Because we cannot wait for promises to be fulfilled, we need vaccines NOW, in the health centres of our countries, and in the arms of our health workers and most vulnerable brothers and sisters.”

The upper chamber of the National Assembly has directed its Committees on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), Primary Health and Communicable Diseases and Foreign Affairs to conduct detailed investigations on the two allegations of fake COVID-19 test result being used to defraud Nigerians in Ghana and obtainment or use of fake COVID-19 vaccination cards.

Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe sponsored a resolution titled “urgent need to conduct probe on accusation of false COVID-19 test results being used to swindle Nigerians in Ghana and the acquisition of phony COVID-19 vaccination cards” (APC, Kwara Central).

The Senate’s decision to investigate the claim against Ghanaian officials came after a slew of allegations and complaints from Nigerian passengers held in Ghanaian detention centers.

The directive followed a motion titled, “urgent need to conduct investigation on allegation of fake COVID-19 test results being used to defraud Nigerians in Ghana and the obtainment of fake COVID-19 vaccination cards,” sponsored by Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara Central).

The decision by the Senate to investigate the allegation against the Ghanaian authorities, also followed numerous allegations and complaints made by Nigerian travelers isolated at Ghanaian isolation facilities.

Leading debate on the motion, Senator Oloriegbe recalled that the COVID-19 infection was declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in February 2020.

He noted that, “while the global roll-out of COVID-19 vaccinations continues to accelerate, only around one percent of the world’s population have received their full course of injections.

“Billions are still waiting for their first dose, which inevitably leads those people to question exactly when they will get it, especially as plans are being made internationally to allow those that have been vaccinated, or can prove they have had a recent negative test, the freedom to travel to other countries, attend large-scale events, take a new job, and more;

“Notes also that there’s a strong and growing demand for vaccinations and test results because of the greater freedoms they will give to people. Also, there will always be people who don’t want to wait for their official vaccination, or for an official negative test result – and shady people willing to service that demand.

The lawmaker further hinted that there is a serious allegation that the Ghanaian authorities are diagnosing Nigerians who travel to their country of testing positive for Covid even after testing negative in Nigeria.

He , however, observed that the Ghanaian authorities, usually, commit Nigerians who visit their country to isolation for two weeks and are made to pay about seventy thousand naira per day.

Oloriegbe also observed that the allegation was exposed by a Nigerian artiste, who was told in Ghana that he had Covid-19 even after testing negative at a Nigerian facility in Nigeria, adding, “he rejected the result and instead that it was a fake result. He was deported and kicked out of a Ghana by the authorities and proceeds to New York in the the United States, where his test result on arrival came out negative.

“Worried that Nigerians traveling to Ghana or through Ghana lamented that they are made to pay almost one million naira while in isolation.

“Further worried that most of the Nigerians traveling to Ghana or through Ghana have alleged that the Ghanaian authorities have made them targets for the purpose of making money;

“Concerned that if this allegation is not properly investigated and addressed, the exploitation will continue, thereby unlawfully taking away the resources of Nigerians in this global economic recession; and

“Worried that if the allegation of people obtaining and using fake Covid-19 vaccination cards to travel is not debunked, it may have negative consequence for Nigerians with genuine Covid-19 vaccination cards from traveling outside the country.”

The lawmaker also prevailed on the upper chamber to investigate another allegation on the United Kingdom’s refusal to acknowledge the vaccination cards and tests results issued to travelers by facilities in Nigeria.

Accordingly, the upper chamber in its resolution directed its Committees on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), Primary Health and Communicable Diseases and Foreign Affairs to conduct detailed investigations on the two allegations of fake COVID-19 test result being used to defraud Nigerians in Ghana and obtainment or use of fake COVID-19 vaccination cards.