FG opens talks with China on COVID-19 vaccines

January 6, 2021

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The Federal Government has said that it has started talks with the Peoples Republic of China on access to COVID-19 vaccines for Nigerians.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffery Onyeama, stated this after a closed-door meeting with the visiting Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, in Abuja on Tuesday.

Onyeama said that China was of immense assistance to Nigeria at the onset of the pandemic, adding that the donation of protective equipment by the Asian powerhouse assisted the nation in the fight against COVID-19.

He stated, “We have received a lot of support from China in the area of personal protective equipment that they were very quick to provide us with.

“China is also one of those countries that have been able to discover vaccines for COVID-19, so we are also engaging with China to also help with regard to access to vaccines for our people.”

Onyeama observed that the relationship between both countries dates back to 50 years, adding that the two nations have many areas of cooperation to celebrate

Giving an insight into some of the deliberations he had with Yi during their meeting, Onyeama said that they discussed the trade relations between the two countries and areas that could be improved.

He said that they also discussed health issues and global pandemic.

“In the area of fostering relations, both countries are now considering having a direct flight from Nigeria to China.

“We want to establish a direct air link with China. We hope that very soon, a Nigerian carrier would be carrying out scheduled flights to China in the not too distant future,” he said.

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