The federal government has said that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a one-dose effective vaccination, with the 177,600 doses targeted at people living in hard-to-reach locations (riverine areas, desert areas, hilly areas, and security-compromised areas) and the elderly.
This is because they may find it difficult to leave their houses to go to the health institution for a second dose immunization.
Dr. Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), said the flag-off is required to raise awareness about what would be done differently to achieve a more successful immunization campaign.
He stated this at the National Flag-off of Phase 2 COVID-19 Vaccination in Nigeria, which took place on Monday, August 16th, 2021 in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.
He also mentioned that they will be receiving 698,880 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine today through the COVAX facility, thanks to a contribution from the UK government.
These doses will be given to people who are scheduled for their second AstraZeneca vaccination dosage.
We expect up to 3.9 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines in the coming weeks to supplement what we now have and guarantee that we cover not only those who will be receiving their second AstraZeneca vaccine, but also those who will be receiving their first dose of this vaccine.
These are his words;”In order to prepare for the start of Phase 2 vaccination, we have trained 40,739 state level individuals, including our health professionals and partners, on our phase 2 strategic vaccine roll out strategy.
We understand that since Nigeria began receiving different brands of COVID-19 vaccine, there have been many questions and concerns about what brand differences mean for the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness.
We’re also aware that saboteurs are still lurking around the corner, ready to produce fake information to mislead people about vaccinations.
I want to reassure Nigerians that NAFDAC has validated all brands of COVID-19 vaccination used in Nigeria as safe and effective, particularly against the Delta variety.
“We believe that overcoming misinformation and disinformation will not only help us overcome vaccine apprehension, but will also help the country recover from the economic downturn brought on by COVID-19.
As a result, our Crisis Communication Centre has been strengthened to provide rapid data analysis in support of aggressive public information management on COVID-19 immunization in the country “.
Meanwhile, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, WHO Country Representative, stated that the introduction of these vaccinations comes with a significant logistical preparation for the storage of Moderna vaccine.
The Federal Government’s large investment in the procurement and installation of Ultra Cold Chain equipment at the national strategic store and state cold stores has pleased partners.
He believes that this is a good sign of national and state government leadership that is committed to having its citizens immunized against the disease.
These are his remarks; “Based on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 Phase 1 implementation, we are confident that the Nigerian government will be able to overcome all obstacles for a successful Phase 2 rollout.
“The integration of Primary Health Care (PHC) services with COVID-19 immunization at fixed points (also known as the “Whole of Family” strategy) is being proposed.
If correctly implemented, this intervention will ensure that customers do not miss out on routine PHC services during COVID-19 immunization, boosting the country’s health indicators.
“Vaccines are a vital instrument in the fight against COVID-19, as I’ve often stated in several forums.
These vaccines are safe and effective, and they will change the game; however, for the time being, we must continue to wear masks, keep a safe distance, and avoid crowds.
“We’d want to remind everyone that the majority of nations, including Nigeria, are currently witnessing COVID-19 epidemics in their third waves,” he added.
The Petroleum Industry Bill 2021 has been signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement released on Monday by Femi Adesina , Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), revealed this.
It stated that after returning from London on Friday, August 13, and working from home in a five-day quarantine as mandated by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, the President signed the Bill on Monday, August 16, in order to fulfill his constitutional responsibility.
The ceremonial element of the new legislation will be completed on Wednesday, once the necessary isolation days have been completed, according to the announcement.
The Petroleum Sector Act establishes a legal, governance, regulatory, and fiscal framework for the Nigerian petroleum industry, as well as the development of host communities.
The bill was enacted by the Senate on July 15, 2021, and the House of Representatives on July 16, 2021, putting an end to a long wait that began in the early 2000s and giving the Buhari government another victory.
…Promises To Make Anambra State A Film-making Hotspot
Some Nollywood actors converged in Anambra State to honor Obiora Agbasimelo a.k.a. Oga Ndi Oga for his unwavering support for the film industry as he launched his campaign to become the state’s first citizen.
Obiora Agbasimalo, a multi-millionaire technocrat and philanthropist who is also the President of the Oga Ndi Oga Solidarity Movement, is running for governor of Anambra State under the Labour Party banner. His campaign kicked off on Saturday, August 14th, 2021 in Akwa.
Destiny Etiko, Chiwetalu Agu, Chinyere Wilfred, Nkechi Nweje, Steve Eboh, Chidi Ihezie Okafor, Chinedu Ikedieze, Mc Smith Ochendo, and Uju Okoli were among those who attended the Labour Party’s grand breaking flag-off campaign.
Promising to make Anambra State a film-making hotspot, he also stated that he would address the issue of the society’s disadvantaged.
Oga Ndi Oga’s foundation, it was learned, has introduced a multi-million naira revolving interest-free loan for traders, craftsmen, and small and medium-scale company owners.
Apart from empowering Nigerian women and youths, Obiora Agbasimelo has also assisted in the construction of community roadways and provided educational and vocational skills scholarships.
He also takes care of medical expenditures for a large number of Nigerians with serious health problems, as well as launching various poverty reduction programs to help widows and families.
The Federal Capital Territories (FCT) Police Command displayed seven suspects in connection with various criminal acts in the territory, vowing to combat and prohibit all forms of crime in the nation’s capital on Friday.
One of the accused is a phony Wing Commander dressed in a Nigerian Airforce outfit who admits to defrauding several naïve members of the public while wearing the costume.
The defendant, 32-year-old Jack Bemdoo, who was apprehended after surveillance at Durumi Park on August 1, 2021 for impersonating Nigerian Airforce officers, said that he utilized the Airforce kit he illegally obtained to intimidate and extort money from scared members of the public.
Mr. Sunday Babaji, the new FCT Police Commissioner, announced this while parading eight (8) criminal suspects in his median press conference, said that the suspects will be charged in court once the investigation is completed.
He urged FCT residents, other stakeholders, and the media to assist in the battle against crime in the FCT, and vowed to build on his predecessors’ legacy in office.
Usman Abdullahi, 37, and Sanusi Adamu, 30, both males from Mpape and Masaka in the territory, are other suspects.
They were apprehended for stealing power high tension wires along Shere-Bwari in the city, with over 20 yards of high tension aluminum cables seized from them.
Along Nyanya in the FCT, one Justice Ezeogu, 36, was also paraded with six bags of dried leaves thought to be marijuana.
He is claimed to have admitted to being an Indian hemp seller and will be handed over to the appropriate authorities for prosecution.
Ndifreke Samuel, 36, of Area 1 was also accused of attempting to rob a victim of a Toyota Corolla with a sharp knife.
Michael Itopa, 24, was also accused of robbing his victim in Garki, Abuja, and was apprehended while attempting to flee with a fake gun as a disguise.
Ebuba Mbani, 33, and Sunday Atu, 26, who were cultists and members of a group known as the Black Movement of Africa, are two additional suspects.
Security is everyone’s business, according to the senior police official, and the Police Command should work together with the FCT Administration, sister security agencies, and community stakeholders to nip crime in the bud within the city.
“I will build on my predecessor’s legacy by ensuring that we improve proactive intelligence-based crime-fighting techniques to nip crimes in the bud within the FCT,” he said.
“Without equivocation, I wish to emphasize explicitly that no criminal elements will be permitted within the FCT, and that anyone with criminal objectives must either repent or face the full wrath of the law.”
Following the end of their investigations, the suspects would be charged before the nation’s courts of law, according to the Commissioner of Police.
Prof Moji Adeyeye, Director General of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDA), has warned that a youth who grows up in stressful circumstances may acquire psychological disorders and may become dangerous as an adult.
She noted with dismay that conditions related to Covid-19 are known to have increased economic deprivation and feelings of social isolation, which are factors that can contribute to increased drug use.
She made this known while speaking at the maiden Annual National Security Summit in Abuja with the theme “Covid-19, Drug Abuse, Mental Health: Implications to National Security.”
Dr Musa Umar, NAFDAC’s Director of Narcotics and Controlled Substances, who represented the director General , who said the theme, “Drug Abuse, Mental Health: Implications to National Security,” was appropriate and in keeping with current national and international realities.
In a statement issued by NAFDAC’s Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, on Sunday in Abuja, Adeyeye avers that any society seeking to achieve adequate military security against the backdrop of acute food shortages, population explosion, low productivity and per capita income, high rate of illiteracy, and a fragile infrastructure/technical infrastructure will fail.
Drug addiction is both a health and a social problem, she says, adding that combating the threat necessitates a balanced approach that addresses all parts of the complicated interaction between lack of opportunity, drug misuse, mental health, and national security.
‘’Today, security encompasses all the interconnected domains of economic self-reliance, social cohesiveness, and political stability, in addition to the physical safety and survival of a state from internal or foreign threats.
It touches on how people might live long and healthy lives,” she explained.
‘’Human development entails expanding people’s options for living a long and healthy life, acquiring knowledge, and having access to the resources necessary for a reasonable standard of living” (UNDP, 1990:10).
Many additional opportunities remain inaccessible on a long-term basis in the absence of these critical options.”
The head of NAFDAC noted that human growth has always been linked to the protection of lives and property, which is why people who framed our constitution deemed security the most important responsibility the government has to its inhabitants.
She went on to say that a lack of opportunities, inequality, poverty, and mental health issues are all established reasons that encourage people to take drugs, emphasizing that the illicit drug economy in poor and marginalized metropolitan areas is typically driven by poverty.
According to Prof. Adeyeye, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development plainly states that there can be no sustainable development without peace, and there can be no sustainable development without peace.
Despite the fact that drug abuse is not specifically mentioned in the Goals and Targets, she pointed out that it obviously overlaps with aim 3.5 – Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance misuse, particularly narcotic drug addiction and hazardous alcohol use.
“The goal is good health and well-being,” she said.
She went on to say that the effects of poverty may be devastating, especially because the poor have little access to healthcare, and that the global picture of drug use is complicated by the fact that many people who use drugs, whether occasionally or on a regular basis, are polydrug users (using more than one substance concurrently or sequentially, usually with the intention of enhancing or countering the effects of another drug).
The non-medical use of prescription drugs (e.g., opioids and benzodiazepines), as well as the use of amphetamines or new psychoactive substances in place of or in combination with drugs like cocaine or heroin, blurs the line between users of a particular substance and paints a picture of interconnected epidemics of drug use and related health consequences, according to the NAFDAC DG.
Prof Adeyeye stated in the 2018 Drug Use in Nigeria Survey that 14.4% of the population, or 14.3 million persons, took drugs in Nigeria, compared to a global yearly prevalence of any drug use of 5.6 percent among the population in 2016.
She went on to say that the survey also found that the highest-level drug was among individuals aged 25 to 39 years, which is a cause for concern because this is the most productive age range in Nigeria’s young population.
She cautioned, “The youths have a lot of energy and are easily misled, and their lives are wasted along religious and ethnic lines by ignorant priests and mischievous individuals.”
She did warn, however, that drug abuse is threatening a significant portion of Nigeria’s population, with the potential to negatively affect state capacity and contribute to poverty, state failure, and national destabilisation, and that co-morbidities such as HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, and tuberculosis are a real threat to the economy in terms of lost productivity and declining quality of life, she added.
The NAFDAC chief stated that cannabis is the most commonly used substance, followed by opioids (such as tramadol and codeine), and that 25% of drug users are female (about 3.4 million), with 20% of drug users being dependent (approximately 2.9m).
‘’Around 376,000 people (0.4% of the population aged 15 to 64) were projected to be high-risk drug users in January 2018, defined as people who had used opioids, crack/cocaine, or amphetamines in the previous 12 months and had used those drugs at least 5 times in the previous thirty days.
Persons who inject drugs account for 21% of high-risk drug users, or about 80,000 people (PWID).
The bulk (78%) were men, but one in every five people who inject narcotics is a woman,” she laments.
Prof. Adeyeye stated that injecting drug users are among the most marginalized and disadvantaged drug users, citing poor health outcomes, including a higher risk of premature death, high rates of potentially life-threatening infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, and tuberculosis, and a higher risk of both fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses.
Despite the fact that around 40% of high-risk drug users requested treatment, she said that getting help was difficult and expensive.
She went on to say that the stigma connected with drug use is another deterrent to getting treatment, as people who need help are labeled as unfit.
‘’This thinking must shift, and society must regard the drug addict as a sick person who requires therapy rather than a criminal who must be punished.”
She also cautions that by 2030, the world would have seen a 40% increase in drug users, with the increase likely to be more pronounced in Africa because the population is younger and drug use is higher among young people than among elderly people.
The head of NAFDAC also noted that Africa’s population is expected to rise faster than that of other regions.
Nigerians, according to the NAFDAC DG, are largely self-sufficient and prefer to treat themselves, particularly as professional medical treatment is increasingly becoming out of reach for the majority of the population.
“We are encouraged to self-diagnose and self-medicate because of persuasive television advertisements and the availability of information on the internet, which outline symptoms and assure us that such and such can be easily remedied by simply taking such a brand of medication,” she said, adding that the public is thus reassured into complacency by thinking that the legality of these medications ensues their use.
According to Prof. Adeyeye, having a mental disease does not imply being violent or dangerous, but persons who are suffering from untreated or inadequately managed mental health disorders may self-medicate with illicit or prescribed drugs and may be willing participants in criminal activity.
“That is why early and effective treatment of mental health illnesses is so important for society’s health and well-being,” she continued.
She went on to say that internationally, only one out of every six individuals who require treatment receives it, with Africa having a ratio of one out of every 18 people.
Prof Adeyeye believes that a country’s healthcare spending reflects its commitment to improving its health indicators, and that any country that does not invest in its people’s healthcare will face issues such as diminishing productive capacity, poor maternal health, and high child mortality.
She stated that NAFDAC’s experience reveals that corruption and unethical practices impede success in combating the diversion of restricted pharmaceuticals to illicit channels and abuse, resulting in laws not being implemented and offenders not being prosecuted and convicted for their crimes.
In most cases, she bemoaned the slowness of justice and the ineffectiveness of penalty in deterring repeat offenses.
‘’However, in Nigeria, drug treatment treatments are primarily accessible in tertiary hospitals.
Eleven hospitals in the country’s six geopolitical zones have already been refurbished to function as Model Drug Treatment Centers.
Furthermore, certain non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and faith-based organizations provide limited services,” she added with a ray of optimism.
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa has hinted that, the Ministry of Health of Cote d’Ivoire today confirmed the country’s first Ebola case since 1994.
While pushing governments to concentrate on the COVID-19 response, they should also improve their preparedness for possible Ebola cases.
The Ebola Virus Disease was confirmed in samples taken from a patient who was hospitalized in the commercial metropolis of Abidjan after coming from Guinea, according to the Institut Pasteur in Cote d’Ivoire.
The patient had traveled to Cote d’Ivoire by vehicle and arrived in Abidjan on August 12th, according to preliminary findings.
After developing a fever, the patient was admitted to the hospital and is currently undergoing treatment.
Guinea was hit by an Ebola outbreak that lasted four months and was declared over on June 19, 2021.
There is no evidence that the recent case in Cote d’Ivoire is connected to the Guinea outbreak.
Further investigation and genome sequencing will be used to identify the strain and determine if the two outbreaks are linked.
This year, Ebola outbreaks have been proclaimed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Guinea, but it is the first time since the 2014–2016 West Ebola outbreak that an outbreak has occurred in a large capital city like Abidjan.
“It is of enormous concern that an outbreak has been declared in Abidjan, a metropolis of more than 4 million people,” Moeti said.
“However, most of the world’s expertise in combating Ebola is right here on the continent, and Cote d’Ivoire may draw on this knowledge to speed up the response.
The country is one of six that WHO has recently aided in improving their Ebola preparedness, and this early diagnosis demonstrates that preparation is paying off.”
She went on to say that WHO is assisting in the coordination of cross-border Ebola response activities, and that 5000 Ebola vaccine doses that the organization helped secure to combat the outbreak in Guinea are now being transferred to Cote d’Ivoire, thanks to an agreement between the health ministries of the two countries.
A plane is leaving Abidjan soon to gather vaccines that will be used to vaccinate those who are at high risk, including as health workers, first responders, and people who have been in contact with proven cases.
“WHO staff in Cote d’Ivoire are assisting with the case inquiry.” A multidisciplinary team of WHO experts will also be quickly sent to the field, covering all key response areas.
They will assist with increasing infection prevention and control at health institutions, diagnostics, contact tracing, treatment, and outreach to communities to ensure that they play an important role in the response.
Cote d’Ivoire disclosed the epidemic in accordance with international health regulations, and the World Health Organization does not recommend any limitations on travel to or from the country.
“While governments focus on COVID-19, they should strengthen their preparedness for any Ebola cases,” she said.
While Cote d’Ivoire borders Guinea and Liberia, both of which were hit severely by the West Africa Ebola outbreak in 2014–2016, the country has had no confirmed cases since 1994, when a chimp outbreak infected a scientist.
Ebola is a deadly disease that affects humans and other primates. In previous outbreaks, case mortality rates have ranged from 25% to 90%.
There is now good treatment available, and patients’ chances of survival improve dramatically if they receive treatment and supportive care early.
UNICEF has condemned the deaths of three children in Borno, Nigeria’s north-east, who were believed to have been killed by unexploded bombs.
According to the UN agency and the avoidable deaths of the children as young as 12 years who were playing on Mblu Bridge in Ngala, is yet another sad reminder that children remain direct and indirect targets of the protracted conflict wracking north-east Nigeria. While three children have sadly lost their lives, three others are in critical conditions while two other children sustained mild injuries.
Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Nigeria Representative said, in 12 years of protracted conflict in the north-east, thousands of children in the region have been killed, maimed, abducted, displaced, and experienced multiple violations of their human rights. UNICEF is deeply worried that conflict-affected children continue to be casualties of war.
He further stated that, “First of all, we extend our deepest and heartfelt sympathy to the families of the children killed. No family should have to go through this – and no child should fall victim to unexploded remnants of war while playing.”
Children are at particular risk from unexploded ordnance, which are small enough to pick up or kick around, and which children can mistake for toys or objects of value. Such weapons account for over half of those killed or injured by landmines and other explosive remnants of war globally.
“These deaths are unacceptable. All sides to the ongoing conflict must protect children and prioritise their wellbeing at all times. Playing fields, schoolyards and communities must be safe and habitable for children,’’ said Peter Hawkins.
“Children’s lives should not be at stake in a conflict they didn’t start. We must address the shrinking safe spaces for children and ensure that children – especially those already affected by conflict – are protected and have a chance to survive and fulfill their potential.”
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu on Friday inaugurated the FCTA/USAID Steering Committee as part of measures towards the revitalization of the FCT healthcare systems to deliver quality, affordable and sustainable preventive healthcare services to residents of the territory,
The minister,at the inauguration, stated that the steering committee was a follow up to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on December 17, 2020, to support the revitalization of FCT healthcare systems.
Aliyu noted that the MoU seeks to address weak healthcare system especially the Primary Health Care (PHC) performances and the root causes of poorly functioning health systems in the Federal Capital Territory.
She stressed that through this partnership, the FCT Administration would improve the capacity of the FCTA to plan, allocate and manage resources as demonstrated by increased budgetary allocation for PHC, and increased expenditure for Primary Health Care.
Other milestones that could be achieved through this partnership include increase the coverage of FCT’s minimum benefit package for PHC to 20 percent of the residents of the FCT in 2020, 30 percent in 2021, 40 percent in 2022, 50 percent in 2023, 60 percent in 2024.
To drive the operationalization of the signed MoU, the minister charged the committee to serve as an avenue to promote transparency, the use of data for decision-making and problem solving, adding that the committee would engage other stakeholders such as members of the Senate and House of Representatives as required.
Also , the Mission Director USAID, Anne Peterson, who joined the inauguration virtually identified the primary healthcare services as the foundation of strengthening universal health coverage.
She noted that USAID recognized the important roles healthcare system play in guaranteeing universal access to health services and improving the health outcome, while expressing the hope that this new steering committee would provide a road map in guiding primary healthcare partnership.
“USAID is committed to partner with FCT Administration to improve primary healthcare services by creating and strengthening systems that will improve and assist our primary healthcare in equitable distribution of resources”, she stated.
Members of the committee include, the FCT Minister of State, as chairman, Mission Director, USAID, co-chairperson, FCTA Permanent Secretary, Secretary Health and Human Services Secretariat, Executive Secretary, FCT PHCB, Director, HPRS, Director, FCT Health Insurance, Director, Treasury, and Deputy Director Health Financing Equity and Investment as Secretary of the Committee.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has harped on the need for Public- Private Partnership (PPP) in managing Nigerian international airports.
The Minister said that the strategy will help to modernise and standardise the operation and management of the Nigerian airports.
Sirika made the plea during his presentation in a zoom meeting on the theme “Nigerian Airport Concession Strategy.
He further stated that the Federal Government had earlier proposed a 20 to 30-year concession tenure for four major airports billed for private ownership.
He said the plan would enable private investors to own, operate and recoup investments made on Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano airports.
Sirika also said that the airports in Nigeria are currently operating in a suboptimal environment. All airports require investments in runway maintenance, navigation aids as well as terminal facilities; relatively low asset utilisation due to the limited opening hours of other smaller Nigerian airports.
Lack of terminal capacity as the Airports fall short of gates, stands and check-in desks; the airports have not been designed as international hubs but operate separate international and domestic terminals, “ he said.
Sirika maintained that a private operator of the four main airports in the country would be able to operate the airports with an international standard and expand the facilities in accordance with traffic demand at each airport.
The minister said the authority had set minimum service levels for the concessionaire to comply with on the airport PPP Projects.He further said that the move would provide the authority with a tool to set service standards for the operation of the terminals and secure a reliable high-level product.
A strong aviation industry provides the country with a high connectivity, both on a domestic and international scale. This has several economic and social benefits for the country as identified in this OBC.
These include time and cost savings for companies, efficiency gains for the economy, increased connectivity for remote regions, and improved access to health care, “he said.
He said the airport concession strategy supported the Nigerian Airport Concessions to be a Terminal Concession, adding that the majority of the revenue would be derived from Non Aeronautical sources.
According to him, all other facilities at the airports and existing concessions outside the Airport Terminals will still be managed by Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Srika said that the concessionaire would provide the investment required to upgrade the existing terminals, take over the new terminals and maintain them over a period of time to be determined based on financial assessment of each transaction.
“Passenger Service Charge and Security Charge will be shared by FAAN and the Concessionaire and FAAN’s share of the charges shall be paid directly to FAAN by International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The concessionaire will sign service level agreements with FAAN and NAMA to ensure that airport operates efficiently, the service level agreement will cover the Runway, Taxiway, Security and Air Traffic Management.
FAAN will be required to provide manpower through AVSEC for security of both Airside and Landside, however concessionaire will provide and maintain landside equipment but FAAN will continue to provide maintain Airside security equipment, “ he said.
Nigeria on Thursday took delivery of the first shipment of 177,600 Johnson and Johnson vaccine doses from African Union (AU) under the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVA).
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) in Abuja inspected the vaccine.
NPHCDA Executive Director Dr. Faisal Shuaib said Nigeria was among the first 10 African countries to receive vaccines through the cooperation to received the vaccines at the National Strategic Cold Store in Abuja.
Also, Nigeria is one of the first countries to benefit from a supply agreement signed in March 2021 to acquire 220 million doses for the continent, with the option to order an additional 180 million.
Shuaib , ”the 177, 600 doses would step up efforts to battle a third wave of infections across the country, noting that the single-shot Covid-19 vaccine, was the first of its monthly supplies under an arrangement with AU nations.”
“Nigeria took delivery of 177,600 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines, being part of the 29,850,000 doses that the Federal Government of Nigeria procured through the AVAT of the AU Commission through the facility provided by African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIMBANK)
“The balance of the vaccine will subsequently be delivered in monthly tranches.”
“This batch of Johnson and Johnson vaccines will be focused on those who are in the hard-to-reach areas (riverine areas, desert areas and security-compromised areas), the elderly and frail individuals.
“This is because the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is administered as a single dose vaccine unlike the AstraZeneca and Moderna that require two doses for complete vaccination,” Dr Shuaib said.
Milestone for Africa The Regional Chief Operating officer, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Mr Abdoulaye Kone , said that the vaccine acquisition by AVAT was a unique milestone for the African continent.
He further stated that, ”the delivery marks the first time that the AU Member States have collectively purchased vaccines to safeguard the health of the African population.”
Mr Kone disclosed that the first monthly shipment of vaccines acquired by AVAT commenced on Aug. 5, to several Member States,and the shipments would continue for a total of 6.4m doses shipped in August.
The World Health Organization (WHO), Country Representative, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, commended the first phase of the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out in Nigeria with the vaccination of the front-line workers and other priority groups who were at high risk of Covid-19.
He added that Nigeria’s preparation for the second phase of the Covid-19 vaccination, involving more resources and logistics, was highly commendable.
Molumbo commended the multi-sectoral approach embraced by Nigeria towards making vaccines available.
According to him ; “If any. As I always mentioned at different fora, vaccines are a critical tool in the battle against COVID-19. These vaccines are safe and effective and will be the game- changer: but for the foreseeable future, we must continue wearing masks, physically distance and avoid crowds.
“The J&J vaccine we have today, was listed for emergency use by WHO on the March 12, 2021. The vaccine has been authorized for use in Europe, the United States and other countries.”
“As the only single dose Covid-19 vaccine approved for use to date, the vaccine may be an important tool for accessing hard-to-reach populations, thus playing a key role in preventing infections and reducing deaths across Nigeria.
“Let me seize this opportunity to say that this pandemic still has a long way to run: Nigeria is experiencing a 3rd wave and we need to work together to ensure that all preventive measures put in place are maximized to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on our lives,” he advised.
Also, the Africa Center for Disease Control(CDC), Representative, Dr Amadou Cheick Tidiane CISSÉ, said it was a sign of hope that the continent would finally be able to close the vaccination gap other parts of the world.
Tidiane CISSÉ, hinted that these vaccines would help to save African lives and livelihoods and to resume their ways towards the continental development agenda.
He further stated that , since the beginning of this pandemic, which continues to devastate lives and livelihoods in Africa and globally, it has been clear that safe and efficacious vaccines are our only way out.
Similarly , the Representative of UNICEF in Nigeria, Dr Peter Hawkins, said that ”Covid-19 vaccines were the most important tool the world have against Covid-19.”
Hawkins urged Nigerians that vaccination was also providing better protection than natural immunity for adults previously infected with Covid-19, from getting re-infection.
He noted that the country is expected to received another shipment of Oxford AstraZeneca Vaccine doses by next week.
AVAT was established by the African Covid-19 Vaccine Acquisition Task Team, set up in November 2020 under the African Union chairmanship of President Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa.
It is part of the African Union’s Covid-19 Vaccine Development and Access Strategy, and its goal of vaccinating at least 60 per cent of the African population with safe and efficacious vaccines against COVID-19.
The agreement with Johnson & Johnson was made possible through a USD 2 billion facility provided by Afreximbank, who are also the Financial and Transaction Advisers, Guaranion for Africa (UNECA) who coordinated the alignment of the AU Ministers of Finance on the financing arrators, Instalment Payment Advisers and Payment Agents, and the support of the United Nations Economic Commissions.
