Cross River State with a population of 3.8 million will take home 1,023 doses of COVID-9 vaccines according to the data for the distribution of the vaccines released by the Federal Government of Nigeria in Abuja.
In the data released by the Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, the 36 states and FCT would, in the interim share 100,000 doses, while awaiting another consignment of 42 million free doses later.
Cross River State with a population of 3.8 million will take home 1,023 doses, which many believed might not serve the teeming population in Calabar, the state capital and the hinterland in the 18 local government areas of the state.
The data shared by NPHCDA shows that Lagos gets the second highest quantity 3,131, next to Kano which gets the most in the country, with 3,557 vaccines distributed to it.
Others are 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.
Also, Adamawa, 1,129; Edo, 1,104; Plateau, 1,089; Enugu, 1,088; Osun, 1,032; Kogi, 1,030; Abia, 955; Gombe, 908; Yobe, 842; Ekiti, 830; Taraba, 830; Kwara, 815; Ebonyi, 747; Bayelsa, 589; FCT, 695 and Nasarawa, 661
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde, have come out to say they plan on buying COVID-19 vaccines for their individual states.
Other governors have also said that they were not involved in deciding the sharing formula for the vaccine doses, arguing that allocation of the vaccines should have been discussed at the Nigeria Governor’s Forum NGF.
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, in his reaction, lamented that “the issue of allocation of COVID-19 vaccine doses ought to have been discussed at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.”
Credit: Nigerian Tribune