Nigeria has received 300,000 additional doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, the government said on Monday.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, disclosed this at the briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
He noted that the vaccines were donated to the government by telecommunications giant – MTN and called on other partners to contribute towards the fight against COVID-19 in the country.
The first batch of 3,924,000 doses of the vaccines arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on March 2, via an Emirates airplane from India.
Nigeria commenced the exercise three days later with the vaccination of four frontline healthcare workers in Abuja.
At Monday’s briefing, Mustapha, who is also the PTF chairman, described the disclosure that some Nigerian scientists have produced at least two local COVID-19 vaccines which were awaiting clinical trials and certification as significant.
According to him, it is a welcome development that will open a new vista in scientific breakthrough and will boost the morale and image of the medical industry in the country.
The SGF, therefore, called on all relevant agencies to provide the required support and enabling environment for the smooth conduct of the remaining protocols for the certification of the local vaccines.
He also hinted that a platform would be created during the week to show Nigerians every information relating to the management of vaccines and the pandemic.
