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No short shelf doses of COVID-19 vaccines in Nigeria — FG
The Federal Government says that there are no short shelf doses of COVID-19 vaccine donations in the country.
The Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuaib, said this in Abuja, at the official handover of about 2.6 million doses of Johnson Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.
Shuaib said that the vaccines were now promptly shipped and distributed through the COVAX and AVAT facilities to reduce the risk of expiration.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the vaccines were donated to Nigeria by the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Amb Jamie Christoff.
Following the expiration of one million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in Nigeria, the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, announced that the country would no longer accept vaccines with short shelf life.
The committee had said that such vaccines mounted undue pressure on health workers to administer them.
It also took the decision to destroy one million of such vaccines publicly, to assure Nigerians that there was no intention to use them.
Shuaib said that donors now recognised the need to give away vaccines before their expiration dates.
According to him, they have also created a pathway for prompt shipment and distribution through the COVAX and AVAT facilities to curb the risk of expiration.
“There is now better coordination, and the COVID-19 vaccines in the country are not expired nor have short shelf lives.
“The Federal Government, through the NPHCDA and other partners, has continued to ensure that the country received vaccines with a long expiration date,” he said.
He said that 62 million vaccine doses were available in the country at the moment, adding that 40 million more were being expected.
While commending the Government of Canada for providing “the much-needed support”, shuaib said that the donation was critical to helping the country ramp up its vaccination rollout process.
“Johnson & Johnson offers a single-dose opportunity for full vaccination, which means if you take one dose of the vaccine, you are regarded as a fully vaccinated person.
“However, we strongly recommend a booster dose after 2 months of taking the initial dose to strengthen your level of immunity against COVID-19.
“A second dose of the vaccine serves as the booster dose,” he said.
According to him, “we are in a full campaign mode in which COVID-19 vaccines are ready-made available in the health facilities and other designated places.
“They are also brought by our vaccination teams to your doorsteps. We are leveraging on our polio eradication experience to fight COVID-19.
He expressed confidence that with the kind of support received from the Canadian Government, Nigeria would sooner than expected, be able to put COVID-19 behind.
On the SCALES 3.0 strategy, Shuaib said it offered opportunities for childhood vaccination and other Primary Health Care (PHC) services for Nigerians alongside the COVID-19 vaccination.
“Parents can take their eligible children for vaccination against polio, yellow fever, measles and other vaccine-preventable childhood diseases in the same locations where the adults receive COVID-19 vaccines.
“Our mobile teams are also in possession of all these vaccines when they visit your homes.
“Please welcome them and present yourselves and your eligible children for vaccination as may be applicable,” he said.
Christoff, while donating the vaccines, said it was his first assignment as an Ambassador to Nigeria.
The Ambassador recalled that the Canadian Government had earlier donated more than 800,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Nigeria.
He said that the donation was in fulfilment of his country’s commitment to supporting developing countries in ramping up vaccination against the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to him, in 2020, the world was faced with the challenge to develop an effective vaccine.
“In 2021, the challenges evolved to the production and distribution of the vaccines. Today in 2022, we need to put this vaccine within people’s reach,” he said.
Dr Eduardo Celades Blanco, UNICEF Nigeria Chief of Health, used the opportunity to call on eligible Nigerians who were yet to be vaccinated to do so.
“If we keep up with the vaccination, the likely scenario is that even though the virus continues to evolve, the severity of the disease will reduce over time.
“Immunity increases due to vaccination,” he said.
While appreciating the Canada for the donation, he said the gesture came at a time it was most needed.
He commended the recent MIC/NIC survey on vaccination, stressing that in spite of the pandemic, the country was only one of the few globally that recorded improved Immunisation coverage.
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The World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative to Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, also commended the country’s COVID-19 mass vaccination strategy.
Mulombo was represented by Dr Kofi Boateng, EPI Focal Point, Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
He said that other African countries were already looking up to Nigeria to learn how to roll out their vaccinations campaign.
NAN reports that as of Thursday, 40.7 million eligible persons have received the first dose of vaccines, while 28.6 million persons fully vaccinated.
This represents 25.6 per cent of the eligible population.
Meanwhile, 2.6 million fully vaccinated persons have received their booster doses.
Also, the SCALES 3.0 strategy enjoins the 36 states of the federation and the FCT to step up intensive actions to ensure that every eligible adult and child is vaccinated.
The Federal Government has also designed a performance-based incentive to improve the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines and other PHC services in the states and the communities.
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has reacted strongly to a recent report by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleging that a significant number of Nigerian university students are involved in internet fraud.
The EFCC had reportedly warned that cybercrime is becoming increasingly common among undergraduates, a development it described as a growing national concern requiring urgent attention from authorities, parents, and educational institutions.
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Reacting to the claim, Obi described the situation as deeply troubling, warning that Nigeria may be “raising a generation of fraudsters” if the trend is not urgently addressed.
According to him, if even a large fraction of the allegation is true, it signals not just a crime problem but a broader collapse of values and moral discipline in the country.
He stressed that young people do not operate in isolation, arguing that society, leadership, and institutions all play a role in shaping behaviour. Obi noted that when dishonesty appears to thrive without consequences, it sends the wrong message to the youth.
The former Anambra State governor also called for urgent reforms in governance, education, and value reorientation, insisting that integrity must be restored at all levels of society.
He added that the focus should not only be on condemning young people but on addressing the systems that influence their choices and actions.
Obi further urged leaders to set better examples, warning that a society cannot expect honesty from its youth if accountability is weak at the top.
The EFCC has continued to express concern over rising cybercrime cases in tertiary institutions, describing the trend as a threat to national development and security.
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have successfully rescued five students of Gateway Polytechnic, Saapade, following their abduction by gunmen in Ogun State.
The students were reportedly kidnapped late Monday night in the Sapade area of Remo North Local Government Area, triggering a swift response from security operatives after a distress call was received around 10:55 p.m. at the Ipara Police Division.
Upon arrival at the scene, officers discovered an ash-coloured Toyota vehicle riddled with bullet holes and stained with blood. Several mobile phones and personal belongings were also recovered from the abandoned car.
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Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Oluseyi Babaseyi, said an identity card found at the scene linked the victims to Gateway Polytechnic, prompting an immediate escalation and a full-scale rescue operation.
The Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, subsequently ordered the deployment of tactical units in what he described as an intelligence-driven mission to secure the students’ release.
Security teams drawn from the Isara Area Command, Ipara Division, SWAT, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Violent Crime Response Unit, Quick Response Squad, and Operation MESA were mobilised for coordinated bush-combing and tracking operations across suspected escape routes.
The sustained pressure paid off on April 28, when the students were rescued unhurt from their captors.
According to the police, the kidnappers engaged operatives in a gun duel during the rescue effort but were overpowered by superior firepower, forcing them to flee with suspected gunshot wounds. No casualties were recorded among security personnel.
“The victims were immediately evacuated, debriefed, and taken for medical attention due to the conditions they endured while in captivity,” Babaseyi added.
Commending the operatives, Ojajuni praised their gallantry and professionalism, noting that their swift coordination was instrumental to the success of the mission.
He assured residents that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects, with intensified bush-combing operations already underway.
The police also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements, emphasizing that community cooperation remains critical in the fight against crime.
The government of France has issued an urgent directive to its citizens in Mali, advising them to leave the country immediately following a fresh wave of violent attacks.
In a travel advisory released on Wednesday, the French foreign ministry described the security situation in Mali as “extremely volatile,” citing recent assaults carried out by jihadist groups and Tuareg separatist fighters over the weekend.
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According to the statement, all travel to Mali remains strongly discouraged regardless of purpose, as authorities warned that the risk to foreign nationals has significantly increased.
“French nationals are advised to make arrangements to leave Mali temporarily as soon as possible on the commercial flights that are still available,” the ministry said.
The advisory comes amid renewed concerns over instability in the Sahel region, where armed groups have continued to intensify their operations despite years of military interventions.
President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly expressed concern over the deteriorating security climate in Mali, particularly following the withdrawal of foreign forces and the growing influence of insurgent factions.
Mali has been grappling with insecurity since 2012, as jihadist insurgency, separatist tensions, and political unrest continue to undermine stability in the country.
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