Disquiet over Nigeria’s $400m World Bank credit facility for vaccine purchase

There is rising disquiet across the country over the $400 million approval by the World Bank Board of Directors in additional financing from the International Development Association (IDA) in September 2021 to provide upfront financing for safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine acquisition and deployment in the country. Many stakeholders in the Nigerian project are asking: “Could this be the reason federal government wants to use Nigerians as Guinea pigs; and imposing mandatory COVID vaccine jabs.” Some others argued that upfront financing is another form of foreign loan incurred and added to the existing debt burden of the country by the All Progressives Congress (APC) government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.

National Daily gathered that “the Government of Nigeria on September 30, 2021, received approval from The World Bank Board of Directors for a $400 million credit in additional financing from the International Development Association (IDA) to provide upfront financing for safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine acquisition and deployment within the country.

“This will be implemented as part of the COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Projects.”

Part of the deal indicated that  “building on the government plan to break the chain of local transmission of COVID-19 and limit the spread of the virus, the original COVID-19 Response program will be expanded to enable equitable access to purchase affordable COVID-19 vaccines for 18 per cent (40 million) of Nigeria’s population and support effective vaccine deployment to 50 per cent (110 million) of its citizens.”

The Nigerian government is perceived to be desperate to exhaust the $400 million credit facility of the World Bank and the IDA than caring for the genuine health of the citizens. Accordingly, the government has been threatening sanctions for citizens who do not accept the covid vaccines even when they are not sick or have covid symptom.

This has generated protests in several parts of the country, including the mobilization of over 1,500 signatures for petition to President Muhammadu Buhari.