We want to produce vaccines ourselves, Nigeria tells US

The Federal Government has enjoined the United States government to support its bid to locally manufacture vaccines.

Nigeria is one of numerous developing countries around the world whose COVID-19 vaccination efforts have been significantly due to supply issues.

The issues have mostly been centered around hoarding by rich countries, and reluctance of pharmaceutical companies to ease restrictions around manufacturing details.

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, speaking during a joint media briefing with U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on Thursday, November 18, 2021 stated that Nigeria needs the cooperation of other countries to produce its own vaccines.

He said: “What we really need to be looking at, of course, is manufacturing vaccines ourselves here, and we’re hoping to have some cooperation and support from the United States and other friendly countries in the transfer of technology that is required and also in the licensing agreements, especially for the transfer of intellectual property rights, the permission or the license to produce.”