Nigeria to spend additional N396bn on COVID-19 vaccine

The Federal Government has stated that the sum of N396 billion has been budgeted for the provision of vaccines in the 2022 Appropriation Bill.

This was disclosed by Dr. Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

She said sometime in January, the President had based on the request by the Ministry of Health, given in principle, approval for the Ministry of Health to work with the Ministry of Finance, budget and National Planning to prepare and take to the National Assembly a supplementary budget for COVID-19 vaccination.

The submission that was made to Mr. President at that time was in the sum of N396 billion, but included in this N396 billion was a N103 billion for building of primary healthcare centres.

“So we have worked with that and met several times with the ministry, we have agreed to back out from this building of primary health care centres that can wait till later. So there is still a provision of N396 billion for COVID-19 vaccinations for 2021 and 2022,” she said.

She added that the delay in rolling out the supplementary budget on COVID was because the FG expected the ministry to confirm the vaccine donation that Nigeria is expecting. “We are expecting a total of not less than 43 million doses of vaccines.

“So they are supposed to find out when those ones will come. Because, if we are going to get back the donated vaccines, and at the speed of the current rollout, we have to slow down on what we are buying ourselves,” she said.

She disclosed that the ministry is working with partners that are donating these vaccines, citing that the FG acknowledges the timelines of the donations and sees the gap that the government needs to fill in 2021. However, she added that they have provided the ministry, funds to enable the rollout of the four million vaccines that have been brought already into the country.

“So for us, it is still work in progress. We hope in the next couple of days, we will have clarity on the schedule of vaccines expected from donors, and then we will now be able to firm up what the government has to provide for in 2021. And therefore the 2021 component we will provide it during the 2022 appropriations,” she added.