The vaccines, which were delivered through the COVAX facility, had earlier arrived in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, around 2:15 a.m. on Sunday.
The Nigerian government on Monday received four million and eighty doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine donated by the Biden-Harris administration of the United States of America.
The vaccines, which were delivered through the COVAX facility, a vaccine alliance aimed at ensuring equitable distribution of vaccines globally, had earlier arrived in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, around 2:15 a.m. on Sunday.
The vaccines were received and stored at the country’s National Strategic Cold Store near the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, had in May, pledged to share 80 million vaccines produced in the U.S with countries around the world to protect the most vulnerable and stem transmission of the coronavirus.
Of these 80 million, Africa is expected to receive 25 million, with the first shipments to Burkina Faso, Djibouti, and Ethiopia which had already been delivered.
While addressing the media on Monday morning in Abuja, the executive director and chief executive officer of Nigeria’s National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, said the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, had, ahead of the arrival of the vaccines, purchased 60 ultra-cold chain equipment and have since allocated one to each of the 36 states.