Contrary to reports yesterday, that Russia supplied the COVID-19 vaccine it developed to Nigeria, what happened was the signing of a memorandum of Understanding by Nigeria with Russia, which will give the country access to the developed vaccine as soon as it is available for export. Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, who signed the vaccine MoU with the Russian Federation’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Alexey Shebarshin, said a ministerial team would be raised to continue further engagement with the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Nigeria on the vaccine, as well as other areas of interests highlighted at the meeting.
Ehanire stated that Nigeria has been participating in series of knowledge-exchange and contacts with different research bodies and countries to find solutions to the COVID-19 challenge and has contacted the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Nigeria for right of access immediately the Russian COVID-19 Vaccine was announced.
On his part, Shebarshin said that countries such as U.A.E, Saudi Arabia, Mexico have expressed interest in the Russian COVID-19 Vaccine and requested that Nigeria puts together a team to interface with his Embassy to drive the process of human trials not just for the Russian COVID-19 Vaccine but also to explore further disease and health areas where the Russian Federation has expertise to manage with vaccines. Ehanire had with him at the MoU signing, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora, top management staff of the Health Ministry and other Nigerian scientists, researchers who participated at a virtual meeting. Source at the meeting said it was decided that as soon as the vaccine is sent to Nigeria, it would be forwarded to the National Agency for Drug and Food Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Nigeria Institute for Pharmaceutical Development (NIPRD) for evaluation. This will be a great relief as the cases of new coronavirus infections, have continuously increased daily. Nigeria recorded156 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, taking the number of confirmed cases to 54,743 with 42,816 discharged and 1051 deaths.
