In the second year of the pandemic, policy focus in Nigeria shifted to the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines and efforts to prevent new waves of infection. However, challenges to controlling the virus remained – notably, substantial public funding gaps; insufficient testing capacity; public mistrust of vaccines; waning compliance with virus-reduction measures such as social distancing, hand washing and mask wearing; and questions about access to and distribution of the vaccines.
On March 2, 2021 Nigeria received its first shipment of 3.9m doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine via the COVAX Facility, a partnership between Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the WHO; the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations; UNICEF; the World Bank; and multiple other stakeholders in order to ensure the equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines globally. Combined with 100,000 doses from the government of India, Nigeria received some 4m doses of the Covid-19 vaccine for the first phase of its rollout, which targeted frontline workers. Nearly 4m people had received at least one dose by the end of the first phase in July 2021. The second phase was launched in mid-August of that year, after the government received another 4m doses of the Moderna vaccine, 1.4m doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and 1.1m doses of Johnson & Johnson.
At a press conference in February 2021 Dr Ehanire said 41m doses were set to come from the African Union, while Dr Faisal Shuaib, executive director and CEO of the NPHCDA, said the country was “exploring multiple payment options” to secure the necessary vaccine volume, including a deal with the African Export-Import Bank to make repayments over the coming five to seven years. Nigeria’s goal is to have 70% of the population vaccinated by the end of 2022, although concerns remain over whether there is sufficient funding and infrastructure to distribute the vaccine widely and efficiently. The government is courting private sector support for vaccine procurement and distribution. In March 2021 South African telecoms giant MTN announced that it would donate a total of 7m doses to African countries, of which Nigeria would receive 1.4m. The first 300,000 doses were delivered in the middle of that month. The administration has also tapped private sector players to assist with providing the ultra-cold storage and transport facilities needed for certain types of the vaccine prior to distribution.
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