NAFDAC approves Moderna, Sputnik COVID-19 vaccines for Nigerians

Nigeria’s National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has approved two more COVID-19 vaccines fo the use of Nigerians.

The new vaccines are Moderna and the Sputnik, and were approved for emergency use.

Professor Moji Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC, announced this at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday.

Adeyeye explained that although the Sputnik vaccine has not yet been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO), NAFDAC has carried out independent checks on the vaccine and found that the benefits prevail over the risks.

TopNaija recalls that this is coming less than 10 days after Adeyeye said that the WHO is screening the agency for a permit to produce COVID-19 vaccines in Nigeria.

Represented by Mr Fori Tatama, the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Adeyeye vowed that health, safety and environment-based issues were taken seriously by NAFDAC.

She said, “The WHO is carrying out an audit of NAFDAC, which will enable the country to start manufacturing vaccines; the programme started on Monday and will last till Friday.”

NAFDAC is currently headed by Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye who was appointed on the 3rd of November 2017 by the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria as the Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)