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US Donates 2.5m More COVID-19 Vaccine Doses To Nigeria

The United States Embassy proudly welcomed the arrival of 2.5million Pfizer vaccine doses in Abuja, this week.
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency received the vaccines, ensuring they were taken to cold storage to prepare for distribution to over 3,000 health facilities across all 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
A statement by the US Embassy in Nigerian made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt, yesterday, said that “Over the next several weeks, the vaccines would be available at major markets, shopping malls, event centres, motor parks, airports, places of employment, and religious institutions as part of Nigeria’s mass vaccination campaign.
“To date, the United States has donated more than 13.5million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in partnership with COVAX, or bilaterally to Nigeria.
“Additionally, the United States has provided more than $119million in COVID-19 related health assistance.
“This includes a 40-bed mobile field hospital, ventilators and related training for 88 hospitals, personal protective equipment, technical assistance for vaccine readiness, risk communication and demand generation for vaccines, conducting an epidemiological COVID-19 detection and vaccine hesitancy survey, setting up electronic record systems, rapid response teams, training for over 200,000 military and civilian personnel on COVID-19 control measures, and technology for virtual training”.
According to the statement, “In addition, the United States leveraged the PEPFAR-supported National Integrated Specimen Referral Network (NiSRN) and laboratory investments to support expansion of the NCDC (153) molecular laboratory network nationwide”.
As U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken noted earlier this month, “The COVID-19 pandemic won’t end for any country until it ends for all countries. Otherwise, the virus will keep replicating around the world, people will keep getting sick and dying, and we won’t be able to safely reopen our economies or travel around the world for business and tourism the way we used to. That’s why the United States is committed to helping end the pandemic in Nigeria and everywhere,” the statement added.
“The United States is committed to donating more than one billion vaccine doses around the world, by early 2022.
“This includes in African countries primarily through the COVAX initiative. Improving equitable distribution remains a priority for the United States to prevent the emergence of new variants that threaten populations everywhere,” the embassy said..
Meanwhile, the United StatesCentres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has marked the 20th anniversary of its establishment in Nigeria.
A statement by the US Embassy in Nigeria said that the Nigeria country office was established in November, 2001, to support the government of Nigeria to improve disease surveillance systems, build institutional competencies, and expand human resources for health capacities.
At the 20th anniversary event, U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM), Kathleen FitzGibbon, joined CDC to celebrate the impact of CDC’s support to Nigeria’s health sector.
She stated, “CDC’s work of saving lives is the most critical mission of the U.S. Government in its support to Nigeria.”
In addition, she described the CDC mission and staff as clear evidence of the importance of health diplomacy in bilateral and multilateral relations.
The CDC Director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, also thanked the Nigeria team for their dedication and commitment to saving lives, improving the well-being of people in Nigeria, and charting a strong public health course for the future to build a healthier and safer Nigeria, the continent of Africa, and the world.
She added that despite the challenges of the last several years, the over 100-member team in Nigeria has shown great resolve and accomplished remarkable successes in collaboration with the government and partners.
In her remarks, the Country Director, Dr. Mary Adetinuke Boyd, paid glowing tribute to past leadership and recognized the staff and partners as the most critical asset for the agency.
She said the combined efforts of the government, CDC staff, and partners had made Nigeria one of CDC’s most prominent country offices that supports HIV and TB epidemic control, expands global health security, assists with malaria elimination, and reinforces vaccine-preventable diseases.
Boyd said, “since 2001, the collective work of the team has supported Nigeria to put over one million people living with HIV on life-saving treatment. In addition, it supported the government to eliminate wild poliovirus, advance towards malaria elimination and establish a robust public health institute that detects, prevents, and responds to disease outbreaks.”
CDC Nigeria is the country office of the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), established in 2001, with a vision of public health excellence for healthy Nigerians.
The office is part of the U.S. Government Mission in Nigeria that supports the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), its department, agencies, states ministries of health, and several key partners in developing, implementing, and evaluating disease response efforts and programs contributing to Nigeria’s more robust public health infrastructure.
By: Nelson Chukwudi
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.