BUA Group, one of Africa’s largest conglomerates, has paid for a million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines for Nigeria. This was made through the AFREXIM Vaccine programme in partnership with CACOVID.
This is coming at a time Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country is experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases although the most populous black nation is in the continent is expecting batches of the widely sought after the vaccine. These doses, expected to be delivered next week, will be the first delivery of vaccines to Nigeria since the COVID-19 vaccines became available and will be distributed to Nigerians at no cost.
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A statement released Monday said BUA Founder, Abdul Samad Rabiu, thanked the President of the Afrexim Bank, Dr. Benedict Oramah for making the purchase possible and the Nigerian Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, for coordinating the process through the CACOVID Private Sector partnership.
‘BUA decided to secure these 1million vaccines by paying the full amount for the vaccines today because these vaccines became available only last week through AFREXIM. We expect the vaccines to be delivered within the next 14 days and hope priority will be given to our frontline workers who have committed their lives to manage the pandemic,‘ Rabiu stated.
He went on to add that ‘In addition to this, BUA is committing to purchase 5 million doses for Nigeria as soon as they become available through this same arrangement.’
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK