COVID-19: Kano leads in FG vaccine sharing formulae
By Ahmed Bolu
Kano State will receive the highest doses of COVID-19 vaccine, according to the sharing formulae released by the Nigerian authorities.
Under the arrangment made available to Irohinoodua
the 100,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine breakdown shows that Kano will receive the lion share with
3,557;
Lagos, 3,131;
Katsina, 2,361;
Kaduna, 2,074;
Bauchi, 1,900; Oyo,
1,848; Rivers, 1,766;
Jigawa, 1,712;
Niger, 1,558;
Ogun, 1,473;
Sokoto, 1,468;
Benue, 1,423;
Borno, 1,416;
Anambra, 1,379;
Kebbi, 1,268;
Zamfara, 1,336;
Delta, 1,306;
Imo, 1,267;
Ondo, 1,228;
and Akwa Ibom, 1,161.
Others states are Adamawa, 1,129;
Edo, 1,104;
Plateau, 1,089;
Enugu, 1,088;
Osun, 1,032;
Kogi, 1,030;
Cross River, 1,023;
Abia, 955;
Gombe, 908;
Yobe, 842;
Ekiti, 830;
Taraba, 830;
Kwara, 815;
Ebonyi, 747;
Bayelsa, 589;
FCT, 695 and Nasarawa, 661.
The sharing formulae appears not to reflect needs and the objective situation.
For instance Lagos with a population of some 18million people currently has 37, 852 cases while Kano has 2,491 cases. Kaduna has 5,888 cases while the Federal Capital Territory has recorded 13, 938.
Both Lagos and the FCT will be receiving less vaccine than Lagos. Cross Rivers has the least with 169 cases.
The Alliance for the Survival of COVID-19 and Beyond urged the Federal Government to place emphasis on health workers and vulnerable groups in the distribution of the vaccine. Mr Femi Falana, (SAN) the Chairman of ASCAB cautioned the FG against preserving the vaccines for the elite and the instance of frontline workers and the Nigerian people.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotosho said the state was not consulted before the sharing formulae was agreed. He said “Nobody has involved us in what the national vaccine strategy would be. So, all these are new to us. We have not heard anything from the Federal Government, there has been no directive.”
He said the Lagos State Government is working hard to procure independent vaccines in order to meet the needs of the population.
