FG Needs N400bn For COVID-19 Vaccines – Minister of Health Tells Senate

Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, on Tuesday, said the Federal Government needs N400 billion for COVID-19 vaccines.

He discloses this while briefing the Senate leadership in Abuja on Tuesday, stating that the federal government is ready for a COVID-19 vaccine that will save lives.

Ehanire said the N400 billion would be required to vaccinate 70 per cent of Nigeria’s over 200 million population at $8 per person.

He further said N156 billion will be needed in 2021 while N200 billion will be used for vaccination in 2022.

The Minister also said the COVID-19 vaccines will be stored in the same storage facilities (cold chains) used to store the polio vaccines.

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Reacting, Senate President Ahmad Lawan expressed lack of confidence in the ability of the federal ministry of health to effectively store and distribute the COVID-19 vaccines when they arrive in the country.

He, however, said the national assembly is ready to support funding of the vaccines, but added that more needs to be done on the part of the ministry.

“I have not been convinced with your presentation that we are ready to bring in the vaccines.

“You have to do much more to convince me that we are ready,” he said.

Eko Hot Blog reports that Nigeria has is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases which has claimed over 1,220 lives in the country.