The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control is expected to give emergency approval for COVID-19 vaccines once they arrive in Nigeria, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof Moji Adeyeye, said this during an interview with Saturday PUNCH on Friday.
Adeyeye said NAFDAC would be doing something called, “Emergency Use Authorisation.”
On when the N400bn budget for the procurement and distribution of vaccines would be submitted to the National Assembly, health Minister for state, Mamora said it would be next year.
He said the figures were still being collated, adding that it cuts across different ministries. He also said the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, would be in charge of the vaccines.
On when the vaccines would be ready for use, Mamora said, “I think it depends on the assessment report provided by NAFDAC; if favourable and recommended, the Federal Government may approve emergency use authorisation.”
It was learnt that if the N400bn is approved by the National Assembly next month, this would imply that about N900bn would be spent on the pandemic.
This is apart from the sum that several states have individually spent on prevention and treatment of COVID-19 vaccines as well as intervention programmes.
