The Federal Government is brainstorming on how to finance the procurement of vaccines for 50 per cent of the Nigerian population.
The Director General, Budget Office, Ben Akabueze, made this known during a virtual Public Presentation of 2021 FGN Approved Budget- Breakdown and Highlights on Tuesday.
He said the government was expecting donations of vaccine that would be sufficient for only 20 per cent of Nigerian population.
In order to ensure immunity in the country, he said it was expected that 70 per cent of the population should be vaccinated.
According to him, the remaining 50 per cent of the population need to be provider with vaccines.
While responding to questions on how vaccines will be funded this year, he said, “There is ongoing inter-ministerial discussion; they are looking at the matter even if it means coming up with a supplementary budget.
“There is a global alliance to support weaker economies with vaccine. To ensure immunity, we need to vaccinate 70 percent of the population.”
The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, had said Nigeria was in talks with vaccine manufacturers as well as teams in Britain and Russia.
Ehanire added that the United Arab Emirates was introducing the country to the makers of a Chinese vaccine that UAE officials had tested.
