COVID19: Nigeria Faces Challenge from Senegal, S’Africa, Tunisia over Hosting of Vaccine Company

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Nigeria is currently in stiff competition with Senegal, Tunisia and South Africa over which country that would attract the international investors’ fund to set up COVID-19 vaccine production facility in Africa.

This was disclosed yesterday by the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, at the resumed meeting of the Presidential Committee on Salaries and Hazard Allowance for the Health Sector at the Presidential Villa in Abuja where he solicited the cooperation of health workers in ensuring stability in the system.

Ehanire said that the plan to establish the COVID-19 vaccine production factory has become inevitable due to the acute scarcity of the vaccines around the world.

He said: “The COVID-19 vaccine is very difficult to find now because every country is seeking its own interest. Nigeria is pushing to get support to establish a COVID-19 vaccine production site here in the country to serve the entire continent.

“We are competing against Senegal, Tunisia and South Africa. So if we do not put our best foot forward, we will not be able to attract investors. What we are focusing on now is to have the support of the international community.”

The federal government had earlier set up a company, the Bio-Vaccine Nigeria Limited, to act as a special purpose vehicle to actualise the production of the vaccines.

Ehanire also said that Nigeria has started lobbying the international community as part of its efforts to secure investors’ support for the establishment of the vaccine factory.

He said: “We have approached the European Union ambassadors and German ambassador to support us. We need to see that all our health workers are on board and are with us and that there is no threat to the health system because part of what we need to portray is that our health system is solid, reliable and not shaky, so that investors will not be shaken by the believe that our country is unstable.”