The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), which facilitated the procurement of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J), Janssen Pharmaceuticals’ vaccine, says the vaccine cost Nigeria $7.50 as against $10 per dose.

The bank’s Regional Chief Operating Officer, Abdoulaye Kone, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the country would procure 29,850,000 doses through the African Union’s African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT).

Following the receipt of the shipment of 177,600 doses on Thursday, Nigeria became one of the earliest beneficiaries of the supply deal agreed in March to procure 220 million doses for the continent, with the potential to order another 180 million.

According to data from a clinical trial in South Africa, J&J’s single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine made by J&J is highly effective in preventing severe illness and death from the Delta and Beta variants of the coronavirus.

Mr Kone explained that with the first shipment of 177,600 doses of the J&J single-dose vaccines, Nigeria would receive over two million vaccine doses in batches.

“In August, a total of 1,173 132 doses of J&J first batch of 176 000 doses and second batch 997 132 doses. Then deliveries will continue every month. Afreximbank is delighted to be a part of this successful breakthrough in Africa,” he stated. “This was also possible through our partners – Africa Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP), AVAT, Africa Center for Disease Control & Prevention, and the AU for their invaluable contribution to achieving this milestone.”

He disclosed that the rollout of the J&J vaccine began in August 2021, with Togo the first African country to receive the shipment from the Africa Union AVAT initiative on August 5.

“The vaccines have been received in Egypt, Lesotho, Angola, Mauritius, Ghana, and now, Nigeria. The target is to deliver almost 50 million vaccines before the end of December 2021,” he further noted. “By January 2022, the number of vaccines released will be in excess of 25 million per month.”

Mr Kone further stated that this would be done in collaboration with the AMSP and UNICEF providing logistics and delivery services to the member states.

“The vaccine acquisition is a unique milestone for the African continent. It is the first time Africa has undertaken a procurement of this magnitude involving all member states,” he said.

(NAN)