Nigeria Governors Meet Thursday Over Distribution of Covid Vaccines

Faisal Shuaib, chief executive officer of NPHCDA

The governors of Nigeria’s 36 states of the federation will on Thursday meet to discuss modalities for the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines that arrived from India on Tuesday.

The governors would be briefed by officials of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) as well as the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on the pandemic.

Over 3.9 million doses of the vaccines that arrived from India would be distributed to the states after the governors and officials of the PTF have agreed on the modalities for the distribution.

It was gathered that the governors would be relying on the states’ experience in the eradication of the polio vaccines in the distribution of the vaccines.

The states, it was gathered, would ensure that they have the refrigerating facilities that would keep the vaccine in moderate temperatures that are suitable for the efficient performance equivalent of a temperate region.

THISDAY also gathered that the sub-committee of the National Economic Council (NEC) set up to discuss the shortfall in the revenue met wednesday, where the governors raised questions over the declining revenue profile presented by the NNPC.

According to a source privy to the meeting, who spoke to THISDAY, the governors raised queries for the NNPC to explain the shortfall on the revenue accruing from the sale of crude oil.

He explained that the NNPC officials at the meeting were not forthcoming on how and why the nation is witnessing shortfalls from the sale of crude oil despite reports of an increase in the sale of crude oil.

Representatives of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum had two weeks ago met with the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) over the shortfall of revenue accruing to states.

The meeting according to the secretariat of the governors was at the instance of the last NEC headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN).

It is expected that the NEC sub-committee’s recommendations will form the decision of the federal government on how to address shortfalls of revenue in the states.

Chuks Okocha in Abuja