By Fola James
The first Nigerian to receive the Pfizer COVID 19 vaccine could be as soon as January next year, Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said.
A statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday, that the former minister disclosed this during a meeting with Geoffrey Onyeama, in Abuja.
According to Okonjo-iweala who is favoured as next Director General of the World Trade Organisation, WTO Nigeria and other countries must ensure that they get the vaccine as soon as possible to avert deaths resulting from the deadly virus.
She said “As long as one person has it in the world, no one is safe. And that is why poorer countries, lower-middle-income countries like Nigeria, need to get it as quickly as possible.”
Okonjo-Iweala is currently the African Union Special Envoy on mobilising international economic support for the continental fight against COVID-19 and Nigeria’s candidate for the Office of the Director-General of the World Trade Organization.
She said the Pfizer vaccine and the AstraZeneca were presently being negotiated so that poor countries don’t have to stand in a queue behind rich countries.
Okonjo-Iweala said a platform, COVAX have been developed with 186 countries on board, to ensure that poor countries get the vaccines on time, adding that health workers will be the first to be vaccinated.
She stated that “the Pfizer vaccine, the AstraZeneca, those are being negotiated now so that poor countries don’t have to stand in line behind rich countries.
“So, we hope they are starting by the end of January. We will be able to reach these countries, including most of the African countries, Nigeria included, will be able to get access to some of these vaccines.
“Initially, it will be for frontline health workers, followed by some other target groups – older people, those with underlying conditions, and then, from there, the rest of the population. I think the COVAX facility can cover maybe 20-23 per cent of the population by the end of next year.”
