Getting COVID-19 Vaccine A Matter Of Utmost Concern — Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said one of Nigeria’s main priorities now is getting the COVID-19 vaccine and this is a matter of utmost concern to the Buhari administration.

He stated this on Thursday, November 12, at the opening session of the virtual edition of the Paris Peace Forum which featured presentations by some Heads of State & government alongside international organizations, on a collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Osinbajo said: “The priorities of Nigeria in the post-COVID-19 era include improved healthcare and the economy. First, we need to keep the virus under control. While our guards are still firmly in place, getting the COVID-19 vaccine is a matter of utmost concern.”

He added: “On this, we are encouraged by the efforts of WHO and other international agencies working to ensure that vaccine delivery will be equitable across all countries, regardless of the priority of orders and ability to pay.

“We are encouraging private investment to upscale our health sector, with emphasis on improved facilities and affordable universal healthcare.”

While appreciating leaders across the world for their prompt response and cooperation in controlling the spread of the COVID-19, Prof. Osinbajo said, “The sheer scale of disruptions to our lives and livelihoods caused by COVID-19 certainly caught us all by surprise.”

He added: “The pandemic underscores the need for adequate financial buffers to cope with the ‘black swan’ events. For many developing countries, the debt burden makes this all but impossible.

“We call for debt relief for these countries, and the extension of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) at least until the end of 2021 as well as commercial debt relief where needed.”