Lawmaker calls on FG to fund, mandate NVRI, Vom to produce COVID-19 vaccine

By Benjamin Arida/:

The Federal Government has been called upon to invest and mandate the National Veterinary Research Institute, NVRI, Vom, Jos to develop and produce the long awaited Coronavirus vaccine.

The call was made by Hon. Daniel Nanbol Listick, member representing Langtang North Central in the Plateau State House of Assembly on a media chat on Wednesday, 23rd December, 2020.

The lawmaker said the call was based on his personal knowledge of the facilities and technical depth of human resources in the research institute, having worked there earlier in his career.

He argued that indigenous vaccine, not imported vaccine, would be most effective against the strains of the virus circulating in Nigeria.

“We need to know the type of virus circulating in our country and use same to develop our own vaccine which will be more effective rather than importing vaccines that may have been compounded using genotypes not circulating here” Hon Listick said

He noted that time was right for Nigeria to think home-grown solutions instead of waiting to throw money at every invention developed by other countries.