Gavi Announces $250M Grant To Nigeria As Tinubu Stresses Need For Collaboration With Manufacturers

Gavi, the vaccine alliance, announced a $250 million grant for Nigeria after President Bola Tinubu urged the former to work together with potential vaccine manufacturers in the country to ensure fair access to children and adults.

Speaking at a meeting with a delegation of Gavi at the State House, on Thursday, the president said it was necessary to collaborate with the local production in Nigeria.

"We have capable and talented people who can make the necessary contributions to the production of vaccines in Nigeria and the rest of Africa," Tinubu told the delegation of Gavi, which was led by Chief Executive Officer Sania Nishtar, Premium Times reported.

The president reassured the CEO of GAVI of Nigeria's commitment to meeting its outstanding counterpart contributions for routine vaccines in 2023.

He instructed the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Ali Pate to collaborate with the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance to facilitate the release of funds required for vaccine procurement.

"We intend to contribute to the development of our healthcare program and we are committed to partnering with GAVI," he said. "GAVI's commitment to humanity is recognized throughout the world. Thank you for the impactful commitment to humanity, and we welcome the collaboration to save our children from preventable diseases."

Tinubu added, "We as a nation are committed to your values, and we believe that no child should be left unprotected."

Tinubu acknowledged the invaluable insights offered by the GAVI CEO, who originates from a developing country, Pakistan. He stressed the significance of leveraging her expertise to advance children's health initiatives.

GAVI CEO also spoke during the meeting and praised the Nigerian government for its innovative health-sector initiatives, including increasing budgetary allocations to health to 4.6% and pledging to offer HPV vaccines to adolescent girls.

She announced GAVI's commitment to helping the African country with $250 million in grant support.

Furthermore, Nishtar also highlighted GAVI's commitment to tackling vaccine inequality in Africa, citing initiatives like the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator. This program has allocated $1 billion to foster the sustainable expansion of Africa's vaccine manufacturing capabilities.

"Nigeria is a very special country. It is a very special country in Africa. It is a special country in the world and it is a very special country for us in GAVI. There is a dictum in GAVI that says, 'there is no success for GAVI without success in Nigeria,'" she said.