As Nigeria and the rest of the world continue to initiate strategies to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, efforts are on by the federal government to collaborate with the Republic of Cuba on vaccine production. This the Minister of Science and Technology Dr Ogbonnaya Onu says will help sustain the Nation especially as it gradually move into the medium income nation’s category. Onu gave the indication while receiving the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria Clara Pulido-Escandell in his office. The Minister who noted that the Ministry’s mandate is to make sure the nation’s health care services are efficient through research and innovations, said collaborations with Cuba will further help in attaining the quest to move Nigeria away from depending on raw materials to knowledge economy. Earlier in her remarks, the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Clara Pulido- Escandell said her visit was informed by the need to share experiences with Nigeria in the area of science and technology especially as it relates to vaccine production for covid19. Cuba hopes to inoculate it’s entire population against covid-19 with an home grown vaccine, Soberana ll which according to the envoy is due for stage three trials in March with over 150, volunteers.
