Nigeria, Cuba Partner On Vaccine Production

Nigeria has expressed its willingness on collaborating with Cuba for the local production of the COVID-19 vaccine.

While speaking at a meeting with the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Clara Paulido-Estcandell, in Abuja, Dr. Ngozi Azodoh, the Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Federal Ministry of Health, had stressed the need to ensure vaccine security as well as implement actions on technology transfer from Cuba to Nigeria.

Dr. Azodoh, who was been one of the delegates that recently visited Cuba, had acknowledged the country’s robust capabilities in vaccine production.

“My experience in Cuba was challenging for me as a Nigerian, considering all the resources and the human capital and the natural resources that we have. We have read about Cuba and their vaccine prowess because for me, vaccines are a matter of national security and the issue that has happened with COVID-19 has underscored that knowledge that we always have. Going to Cuba is not about the knowledge we had but about seeing how that knowledge can be translated into action.

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“We came back with an experience; that we must do things differently. If Cuba can do so much with so little, then we can do a lot more. We must feel seriously challenged by Cuba’s predicament and small population of just 11 million, which is about 5% of Nigeria. We must develop our local capacity in terms of our human resources, our factory, and our production. Our market must start from Nigeria.”

Pulido-Escandell stated that she is convinced that Cuba’s achievements in research and biotechnology are for everyone in the world.

“What we have made is not only for Cubans but also for other people all over the world. We have a good relationship with Africa and Nigeria.”

Dr. Monica Eimunjeze, he Director of Registration and Regulatory Affairs at NAFDAC, who had represented Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the NAFDAC Director-General, expressed her “optimism about collaborating with Cuba on contract manufacturing, technology transfer, and vaccine production.

“We’re not so much interested in importing, we want to strengthen and build capacity within Nigeria and we feel that it’s the area we can work collaboratively with the regulators as well as the private sector to look at products that we can manufacture locally even if we start by bringing in products but the endgame is to transfer technology and build capacity within Nigeria so that we are able to produce and meet the needs of our country.”