Over one million doses of COVID-19 vaccines donated to Nigeria got expired, because the vaccines came into the country very close to their expiration date, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science Technology and Innovation has said .
He disclosed this in Abuja at a meeting with scientists, researchers and traditional medicine practitioners on claims of effectiveness of COVID-19 herbal remedies and natural compounds.
He said Nigeria and other African countries have not received fair treatment in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines by developed countries.
According to him, many countries in Africa and other parts of the developing world have not benefited equitably from the remarkable successes recorded so far.
He also “Disproportionate access to vaccines has left many people in poor countries unvaccinated, leading to a widening vaccination gap between technologically developed and developing countries. We have seen the adverse effect of vaccine nationalism, whereby, countries that produce vaccines want to hold on to those vaccines for the use of their citizens.
“This is being done irrespective of the fact that COVID-19 is a global disease which can only be effectively controlled when access to vaccines is made available to all parts of the world. We have unfortunately seen a situation when vaccines are donated to countries at a time that they are about to expire. As many as one million doses of vaccines donated to Nigeria, expired because it came into the country very close to its expiration date.
“Subsequently, Nigeria has even rejected vaccines being donated to her very close to their expiration dates. We have also seen wide disparities in percentage of fully vaccinated people among rich and poor nations.
“This means that the fight to defeat COVID-19 and halt the socio-economic dislocations occasioned by the pandemic is far from being won.”
Onu emphasized the need for Nigeria to be self-reliant, adding that “no nation can depend entirely on outside help to meet the health challenges of her people.”
He expressed optimism that Nigeria has home-grown vaccines or cure to COVID-19 pandemic, adding that Nigeria has the best brains, material and human resources required to salvage the world from the ravaging of the pandemic.
“Nigeria must develop the capacity, through research and innovation, to look after the healthcare needs of Nigerians.
“The Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation is therefore committed to the search for indigenous solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic, which remains a substantial threat to the health of the people and economic prosperity of the nation.
“We are confident that arising from this meeting, we will be able to find the best way to harness local expertise and resources in the development of either a home-grown vaccine or a curative agent against COVID-19.
“This is a sustainable and dependable strategy to ensure that our people are protected against this deadly virus.
“We are convinced that we have the scientists in Nigeria, who if properly supported can help make our dear nation a member of the exclusive club of countries that have developed either a vaccine or a drug to help fight and defeat COVID-19,” he explained.
The minister insisted on the clinical trials of all the home-grown solutions proffered by Nigerian scientists and researchers at the meeting.
