Nigeria To Manufacture COVID-19 Vaccines, Awaits WHO Approval: NAFDAC

Moji Adeyeye, the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), says Nigeria will start manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines once it gets approval from WHO.

She disclosed that the UN health agency was screening NAFDAC for a permit to produce COVID-19 vaccines in Nigeria.

Ms Adeyeye spoke at stakeholders interactive session organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations in Abuja.

The NAFDAC boss said, “The WHO is carrying out an audit of NAFDAC, which will enable the country to start manufacturing vaccines. The programme started on Monday and will last till Friday.”

At the session, the Ministry of Labour and Employment urged lawmakers to speed up action on the Operational Safety and Health Bill.

The Director, Department of Occupational Safety and Health, Lauretta Adogu, promised to ensure proper regulation of safety in workplaces.

“The bill will seek to make comprehensive provision for operational health and safety in work and other matters.

“It also seeks to establish a National Council for Occupational Safety and Health and will address several important issues and widens the scope of legislation as the new act will apply to all workplaces because we enforce operational safety and health in Nigeria,” she said.