The vaccines are a combination of doses of AstraZeneca
vaccines from the COVAX facility and the AU's COVID-19 vaccination programme,
which the MTN Group contributed $25 million. The vaccines will be distributed
among health workers in Nigeria by the National Primary Healthcare Development
Agency (NPHDA).
Commenting on the vaccines, the Director-General of the
NPHDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said: "On behalf of health care workers in
Nigeria, we commend the efforts of the Nigerian government and the African
Union in the fight against COVID-19, and we thank MTN for their collaboration.
The arrival of these vaccines is a major step, as we try to stay ahead of the
virus. We need all the collaboration we can get, and I implore more
organisations to join this drive for the Nigerian people."
Also speaking, the Director General of the Nigerian Centre
for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, expressed appreciation on
behalf of the government. According to him, "The donation of COVID-19
vaccines is truly helpful, and we are grateful. We can only succeed against
COVID-19 when we fight together. These vaccines will go a long way in
protecting health workers, who are on the frontline, and need all the
protection they can get at this critical moment, hence the prioritisation of
their vaccinations."
Expanding on the power of partnership and collaboration, the
Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Karl Toriola, said: "I thank the
Nigerian government and the AU for the opportunity they granted the MTN to
collaborate and contribute towards the delivery of these vaccines. The ongoing
threat of COVID-19 requires a vast and accelerated effort by both the private
and public sectors. Partnerships like this practically demonstrate what can
achieved when we work together for Africa's (and indeed Nigeria's) progress. We
are truly privileged to have been able to play our part in contributing towards
government's efforts to protect and save lives."
A statement from the MTN, through its media agency, said:
"At the start of the pandemic, the MTN Nigeria collaborated with
government to curb the spread of the virus, in large part via the introduction
of MTN's Y'ello Hope platform. Y'ello Hope encompasses a broad range of
interventions and programmes valued at approximately N25 billion that are
designed to offer relief where it is needed most. These are aimed at supporting
Nigeria's people, customers, communities, and the various levels of government.
"Through Y'ello Hope the company provided
free-to-access services (including SMS and data) to the most vulnerable,
facilitated zero-rated access to healthcare websites, deployed the
'Wear-it-for-me' campaign to help create awareness around the importance of
wearing masks, and made a N1 billion donation to the private sector-led
Coalition Against COVID-19."
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