President Bola Tinubu has urged Gavi, the vaccine alliance, to partner with prospective Nigerian vaccine producers to guarantee fair access to crucial vaccines for both children and adults.
On Thursday, at the State House in Abuja, President Bola Tinubu expressed these sentiments during a meeting with a delegation from Gavi, led by its Chief Executive Officer, Sania Nishtar.
He emphasized the importance of partnerships in local vaccine production, highlighting the challenges faced by developing countries, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and other infectious disease outbreaks.
According to a statement from the Special Adviser on Media to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu assured the Gavi CEO of Nigeria’s commitment to fulfilling its outstanding counterpart contributions for routine vaccines in 2023.
Tinubu underscored his administration’s dedication to ensuring universal vaccination against preventable childhood diseases, emphasizing the goal of leaving no child behind in this regard.
In response, the Gavi CEO commended the Nigerian government for its innovative health-sector initiatives, such as increasing budgetary allocations to health to 4.6 percent and its commitment to providing HPV vaccines for adolescent girls.
She announced Gavi’s commitment to providing a $250 million grant support to Nigeria and pledged to address vaccine inequity in Africa through initiatives like the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator, which has allocated $1 billion to support the sustainable growth of Africa’s vaccine manufacturing base.