Senate President Laments About US, UK, India Blocking Vaccines From Reaching Nigeria

Ahmad Lawan

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has accused the United States and the United Kingdom of blocking the COVID-19 vaccines from getting to the country, while appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari to provide resources for local scientists to produce an effective vaccine.

“The U.S. is not allowing vaccines to go out of U.S. The EU is not allowing the AstraZeneca vaccine produced in the UK to be sent out of the EU. India is not allowing the AstraZeneca vaccine they produced to be exported,” Mr Lawan complained on Monday while speaking to journalists.

The senate president said he wanted Nigerian scientists to collaborate with other scientists worldwide to develop a local but effective COVID-19 vaccine.

“As for Covid-19, I believe that our country, Nigeria, should have some resources for our scientists to collaborate with other scientists across the globe, to also have our own vaccine,” said Mr Lawan.

Displeased with what he regarded as a blockade from the U.S. EU, UK and India, he asked, “So where do we go from here?”

Insisting that Nigeria should develop the COVID-19 vaccine locally, urged Mr Buhari to headhunt Nigerian talents abroad to return to the country to develop the vaccine.

Mr Lawan explained, “We have many Nigerians outside Nigeria, who are also helping developing the vaccines in other countries.