Russia’s Ambassador to Nigeria Alexey Shebarshin on Friday delivered samples of the country’s coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine to the Minister of Health Osagie Ehanire during a visit to the ministry in Abuja.
The ministry’s spokesman Olujimi Oyetomi stated this in a release.
According to the statement, the Minister of State for Health Olorunnimbe Mamora and some Nigerian scientists were present.
Ehanire said the vaccine would be “quickly referred” to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control as well as the Nigeria Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development, amongst other agencies, for review and possible validation.
The Russian envoy, according to the statement, said he was at the health ministry “to formally hand over the Russian-made Vaccine against COVID-19 to Nigeria with an aide memoir which explains the details for Nigerian teams to study and get ready for further researches, patronage and application.”
The spokesman also quoted the minister of health as saying, “Nigeria has been participating in series of knowledge exchange and contacts with different research bodies and countries to find solutions to the COVID-19 challenge and had contacted the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Nigeria for right of access immediately the Russian COVID-19 Vaccine was announced.
“The consensus of decision reached was to quickly refer the vaccine to the necessary professional institutes and agencies of the Federal Ministry of Health beginning with NAFDAC, NIPRD, and for a team of scientists and advisors to the ministry to get to work on possible patronage of the Russian vaccine to alleviate the plight of Nigerians amid the COVID-19 pandemic.”
