Nigerian President Bola Tinubu met with a delegation from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, led by its new CEO, Dr. Sania Nishtar. He urged Gavi to collaborate with Nigerian vaccine manufacturers to improve access to vaccines for the region.
Tinubu highlighted the challenges developing countries faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the need for local production capacity. He expressed confidence in Nigeria’s skilled workforce and their ability to contribute to vaccine production efforts.
The President also pledged to fulfill Nigeria’s outstanding contributions to Gavi’s routine vaccination programs for 2023. He directed his ministers to ensure the necessary funds are released for vaccine procurement.
Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to child health, stating his aim to ensure all children receive vaccinations against preventable diseases. He praised Gavi’s global health efforts and welcomed collaboration to protect children.
He acknowledged Dr. Nishtar’s experience leading a developing nation’s health sector and emphasized the importance of her perspective for improving children’s health outcomes.
The President closed by emphasizing his administration’s focus on healthcare renewal and collaboration between federal, state, and local governments.
Gavi CEO Dr.
Nishtar congratulated Nigeria on its health initiatives, including increased health budgets and HPV vaccination programs for girls. She expressed Gavi’s willingness to collaborate with Nigeria to improve health outcomes through policy and technical expertise.
Dr. Nishtar announced a $250 million grant for Nigeria and highlighted Gavi’s commitment to addressing vaccine inequity in Africa. She mentioned the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator, a $1 billion initiative to support Africa’s vaccine production capacity.
She emphasized the importance of Nigeria to Gavi’s mission and stated that the Gavi board would soon make policy decisions on future support for the country beyond 2028.
