Buhari also said he looks forward to receiving a commitment from
the company to expand collaboration to achieve Nigeria’s goal of developing
capacities for research, development and manufacturing.
According to a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media
and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari stated this when he met with the Executive
Chairman of KENUP Foundation and representative of the CEO of BioNTech, the
mRNA vaccine patent holder, in Africa, Mr. Holm Keller, at the State House,
Abuja.
The statement is titled ‘mRNA vaccine production: President
Buhari welcomes exploratory interactions between Nigerian scientists,
BioNTech.’
Buhari who said that his regime invests “significantly in
health, education, in Research and Development” promised to encourage discovery
and partnership in joint ventures, such as with a private pharmaceutical
company to begin routine vaccines manufacturing in-country.
According to him, ‘‘We are impressed with the numerous
possibilities said to be around the mRNA technology and hence seek cooperation
with well-intentioned organisations, including yours, to build a strong
bilateral partnership with your company and your affiliate bodies, as science
gets closer to understanding the possibilities around successful mRNA technology.
‘‘We believe the mRNA technology will help solve other public health challenges too, especially those peculiar to our tropical environment.
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