President Muhammdu Buhari has reinstated that Nigeria would and are still in partnership with the World Health Organisation, WHO, and other countries to procure safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines to all Africans.
The president made this remark at the virtual 34th ordinary session of the African Union aired attended from the Aso Rock villa in Abuja.
Buhari re-emphasizes the need to immunize at least 60 percent of Africans with safe vaccines to fight COVID-19 in the continent.
He further states that Nigeria would be creating a Coronavirus African Vaccine Acquisition Capacity to fast-track the acquisition and financing coronavirus vaccines for Africa.
Buhari said, “We continue to appreciate the remarkable progress by the team concerning securing a provisional 270 million coronavirus vaccine doses for Africa along with Africa Medical Supply platform and other laudable initiatives already in place.
“In my capacity as ECOWAS Champion on Coronavirus, Nigeria has provided logistics support, including the freight in of critical COVID-19 medical supplies distributed to other ECOWAS member states.
“At the national level and in the fallout of the coronavirus outbreak in Nigeria, we prioritize the vulnerable, including women, children, older persons, and the unemployed, in our efforts to provide medical and social assistance to mitigate the socio-economic effects of the disease.
“I would like to stress that Nigeria is committed to working with other member states in the spirit of regional cooperation and solidarity to promote human health and general wellbeing.
“We will continue to partner with the World Health Organisation, the African Centre for Disease Control and West African Health Organisation as well as other countries to ensure accelerated development and manufacturing as well as unhindered supply of safe and effective coronavirus vaccines to all Africans.”
Buhari expressed his thanks to President Cyril Ramamphosa of South Africa for what he termed an outstanding way in which he worked the affairs of the African Union for a year. He also sends a congratulatory remark to the President of the Democratic of Congo, President Felix Tshisekedi, for his appointment as the chairperson of AU.
President Buhari further congratulates Ramphosa for making the best use of the platform of the bureau to attend to and address the issues of coronavirus pandemic in Africa.
He added, “The coronavirus pandemic has created additional burden to our public health system and posed a major challenge to the gains made in the socio-economic development and overall wellbeing of our continent.
“The outbreak of the second wave of the pandemic has not made the situation any better.
“I commend the African Centre for Disease Control for rising to the occasion by ensuring the implementation of setting priorities.
“I also commend other efforts and support extended to the regional economic communities and member states. The leadership provided by the Assembly Bureau, the cooperation of the African Union Commission, and regional economic cooperation, including the support from partners, have been exemplary.”