The Federal Government has revealed that it is currently gathering producers of vaccines and manufacturers to find a way to have the technology to produce vaccines in case of future outbreaks.
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at the bi-weekly ministerial press briefing on COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in the country.
He also disclosed that Nigeria’s urgency towards producing vaccines now is a bit reduced because it still has few donations, citing 39,800,000 doses of vaccines procured by the Federal Government – The single-shot J&J vaccine through the African Vaccine Acquisition Team (AVAT) of the African Union.
What the minister is saying
Urging that the pace of Nigeria’s urgency is changing towards capacity building and having the technology to produce vaccines, the health Minister stated that Nigeria is yet to make do with the 39,800,000 doses of vaccines procured by the Federal Government – The single-shot J&J vaccine through the African Vaccine Acquisition Team (AVAT) of the African Union, a facility provided by AFREXIMBANK,
- “The country has been making use of donated vaccines,“ he said, indicating that Nigeria has learnt key lessons from the pandemic, including that countries must look inward for medical supplies and other health commodities.
- “So the urgency to be producing our vaccines now is a bit reduced because we still have few donations. We have the ones that the government has procured that we are yet to use. The urgency is now to have the technology to know how to produce vaccines.
- “So we have brought together all our experts, including the producers of vaccines and manufacturers to find a way to have the technology in case of future outbreaks.
- “We’re bringing together all our research capacities or assets, to have that knowledge, that skill or the technology for indigenous domestic vaccines production in case of any other such attacks,” Ehanire explained.
- He added that the Technical Working Group (TWG) on local vaccine manufacturing would pursue that avenue for research and development.
- “What is clear is that there’ll be days for the vaccine. There is also research going on in different countries trying to find the same vaccines and Nigeria wants to be part of that research, such as development efforts. For us to be part of it, we must have the technology, knowledge and all other requirements” he added.
- During the height of the pandemic, the Ministry of Finance, announced the sum of N10 billion for the production of vaccines in Nigeria, to fight coronavirus. As of April 2022, President Muhammadu Buhari, directed the Minister of Health, to submit a progress report by the end of May 2022 on the indigenous production of vaccines in the country.
Speaking on Mr President’s directive, Ehanire said the directive was given when the leadership of the Nigerian Integrated Biopharmaceuticals Industries Consortium, visited him to discuss vaccine manufacturing in the country.
The minister said that the FMOH has continued to drive collaboration with investors for vaccines, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices, in a move towards self-sufficiency in the country.
What you should know
- Nairametrics reported in April that The World Health Organisation announced that Nigeria’s Biovaccines Nigeria Limited (BVNL) and 14 other manufacturers in Africa will receive support from the mRNA technology transfer programme.
- BVNL is a joint venture between the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), and May & Baker Nigeria Plc (MBN), as Special Purpose Vehicle for vaccine production, with the FG owning 49%.
