President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening immunisation, expanding vaccine production and building a resilient healthcare system, as the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi) pledged more than 500 million dollars to support Nigeria’s vaccination programmes over the next five years.
The President gave the assurance on Friday while receiving a delegation of Gavi led by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Sania Nishtar, at the State House, Abuja.
The delegation was accompanied by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Prof. Taiwo Oyedele.
President Tinubu described Gavi as a trusted partner in advancing Nigeria’s healthcare agenda and commended the organisation for supporting vaccine access and local manufacturing across Africa.
He said the Federal Government remains committed to accelerating vaccine production in Nigeria, describing it as a strategic investment that will strengthen health security on the continent.
“The wonderful work of Gavi is well appreciated, and the programme to accelerate vaccine production in Nigeria is empowering the continent. Nigeria takes immunisation seriously, and we will continue to give this partnership our full commitment,” the President said.
President Tinubu also commended the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, for driving reforms in the health sector, saying the administration would continue to invest in science, healthcare and human capital development to improve the well-being of Nigerians.
“We owe it to our people to be forward-looking, build the capacity of Africans and protect future generations. Through education, dedication and patriotism, we can conquer poverty and build a healthier nation,” he added.
The President assured the Gavi delegation of Nigeria’s continued cooperation, describing the partnership as invaluable to the country’s health sector.
Earlier, Gavi Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Sania Nishtar, commended President Tinubu’s leadership, attributing Nigeria’s recent macroeconomic and health sector reforms to his commitment to improving the country’s development trajectory.
She noted that Nigeria had become a leading example in primary healthcare revitalisation, expanded immunisation coverage and innovative health financing, adding that the country’s recent campaign reached 102 million children, making it the largest immunisation campaign ever conducted globally.
Dr. Nishtar announced that despite a decline in global development assistance, Gavi would sustain its partnership with Nigeria by providing more than 500 million dollars over the next five years to support vaccination programmes that will protect an entire generation of Nigerian children.
“I’ve come to let you know that Gavi will continue with its support to Nigeria. Over the next five years, we will contribute more than 500 million dollars towards vaccination campaigns that will help vaccinate an entire generation of children in this great country.”
She also disclosed that Gavi had launched the 1.2 billion-dollar African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator, a financing initiative designed to promote commercial vaccine production across the continent, expressing optimism that Nigerian manufacturers would take advantage of the programme.
The Gavi CEO further lauded Nigeria’s partnership model with the alliance, describing it as an example of country ownership and sustainability, while expressing confidence that Nigeria could eventually transition from being a recipient of Gavi support to becoming a contributor to the global vaccine alliance.
The meeting highlighted the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening health security, expanding access to life-saving vaccines and deepening international partnerships aimed at improving public health outcomes and accelerating local vaccine manufacturing in Nigeria.
