The President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, spoke at the first World Bio Summit, 2022 in Seoul, South Korea. During his address, President Buhari stated that the nation is ready to transform into a global hub capable of supporting sustainable manufacturing and distribution of vaccines and other biological pharmaceuticals.
Further, the President stated that his government is trying to achieve this target. Additionally, Buhari noted that by this example, his administration strives to support initiatives towards keeping “all of mankind safe.”
President Muhammadu Buhari travelled to South Korea as a representative of Nigeria. The nation was selected as a participant in the summit based on her selection alongside five other African nations by WHO and the European Union (EU).
The selection was based on the nation’s performance during the final EU-African Summit in Brussels, Belgium, in February for mRNA technology transfer and Global Training Hub for Bio-manufacturing vaccines on the African continent.
The first world bio summit 2022 was organized by the joint efforts of WHO And the Government of the Republic of Korea. The event is scheduled for two days. It will take place between 25 and 26 October. The theme of the event is: ‘The Future of Vaccine and Bio-Health.’
Special Adviser to the President on issues related to Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, issued and signed a statement. The statement declared that President Buhari pledged commitment to a global response to known or emerging pathogens. These include the worldwide vaccine assurance ecosystem and equitable access for all.
The President said Nigeria would continue to explore bilateral, multilateral and other opportunities for cutting-edge technology as a centre of excellence for vaccine manufacturing and distribution.
He called for the quick take-off of local production of mRNA vaccines following Nigeria’s selection by the WHO.
Buhari also appealed to partners, urging them to support efforts towards the entire value chain of vaccine technology development in the African continent.
He said ongoing conversations on the future of vaccines tend to support the decentralization of the capacity to produce essential materials to respond globally to pandemics.
He also expressed Nigeria’s preference for a global warehousing and supply chain strategy to attend to the needs of most countries.
