Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday said a Nigerian anti COVID-19 vaccine is underway with the ongoing landmark research of a team of Professors from Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

The Vice President said this at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Reference Laboratory, Gaduwa, Abuja, where he underwent a facility tour, in company of the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire; Minister of State for Health, Dr. Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora; and the NCDC Director-General, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu.

Osinbajo spoke on the ground-breaking research of several Nigerians towards creating a cure for the COVID-19 virus at the occasion.

He said: “Last week, I was in briefing meetings, listening to the landmark research of a team of Professors from LUTH who are investigating the ‘efficacy’ of some of the drugs in the therapeutic management of COVID-19 and are researching its prophylactic use.

“A few days later, I was listening to Professor Christian Happi and his team who have produced a ground-breaking COVID-19 rapid test, but more remarkably, are developing a Nigerian anti COVID-19 vaccine.”

Prof. Osinbajo said the country had expanded its public health response capabilities and making a progress in the public health sector since after the nation’s first COVID-19 case last year due to the diligent work of Nigeria’s health workers and experts across the nation.

The Vice President, who noted “that we have a critical situation on our hands currently with the increasing number of cases being recorded”, however added that a lot of progress has been made since Nigeria’s first case was reported in February 2020.

He said the country had activated nearly 120 laboratories nationwide – 70 of them public laboratories – and had “significantly” ramped up testing and case management capacity.

“We have expanded the footprint of our sovereign public health response capabilities especially at the subnational level and in areas where previously such capabilities did not exist.

“Not so long ago, test samples had to be flown out of the country for examination. This is no longer the case as we now have the capacity to process samples internally.”

He said: “this very facility is a testament to the strides that we have made during a short period. While we are not yet where we want to be as a nation, we are most certainly not where we were at the onset of the pandemic.”

The Vice President lauded Nigeria’s public and private healthcare specialists and workers in the line of duty for ensuring the safety, cure and prevention of majority of Nigerians from the COVID-19 virus, sometimes under extremely challenging circumstances. He also hailed NCDC.

The Vice-President, who appealed to Nigerians to continue to comply with COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical measures, urged them to comply with the advice of “our scientists and healthcare professionals and to continue to take every measure to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.”

During the tour of the facility in Gaduwa, the Federal Capital Territory, the Vice President was taken round the laboratories and also interacted with a select group of staff.

He paid tribute to the memory of the late NCDC staff, Uche Njoku, who died in the course of service.

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s maritime industry have hailed the reappointment of Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman as Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) by President Muhammadu Buhari for a second and final five-year tenure.

Stakeholders welcomed the renewal of Bala-Usman’s appointment and urged her to continue her reforms.

While commending Buhari for her reappointment, they called on her to build port infrastructure and make the ports more responsive and competitive.

In an interview with THISDAY, the President of Shipowners’ Forum, Mrs. Margaret Orakwusi, called on the NPA boss to consolidate on her good work and also empower women and groom people to sustain her legacy.

“She has set a huge standard in the industry and one other thing is that she is ready to learn as well as share her time. “What is important is to groom and mentor the younger one and people that will take over from her when she lives.

“Also, she should ensure in this new term, she opened the eastern portal end congestion in the seaport as well as the traffic gridlock, which has been another challenge in the last few years. 

“She should ensure she achieves the call-up system because that is long overdue. The jetties and quay apron needed to be rehabilitated because they are collapsing. “She also needs to ensure that infrastructure that will attract investment to the sector are rehabilitated and constructed,” she said.

On his part, President, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), the umbrella body of customs agents in Nigeria, Mr. Lucky Amiwero, applauded the reappointment and called on the NPA boss to focus on her reforms to make the ports better.

He urged her to ensure that NPA as a service provider focuses on the technical aspect of port operations.

“She has done well and deserves commendation but we have a lot of problems that are militating against the port industry, the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA); the AfCFTA has commenced; how are our ports going to fare? We want her to do more to make the port active and responsive because what we have now is too expensive.

“For now,  the NPA does not have a defined role because when you look at the three components of the port, regulations, port operations, and landlord, they are supposed to be technical operators.

“They should focus on building the port in her new tenure. We are losing our cargo; the port access roads are not in good shape.

“She must focus on trying to build a new port system and focus on the technical aspect like dredging. They are providers of services so they should focus on providing the services to make the port better,” he said

Former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Gambo Jimeta is dead.

A younger brother of the deceased former police chief, Abdulrahman Adamu, confirmed Jimeta’s death to Daily Trust.

Adamu, a former minister of interior, said Jimeta’s funeral will take place on Friday after the Friday prayers at the National Mosque, Abuja.

Born on April 15, 1937, Jimeta was appointed IGP in 1986 to succeed Etim Inyang and was succeeded by Aliyu Attah in 1990.

He was also a National Security Adviser to former head of state, Ibrahim Babangida.

President Muhammadu Buhari has voiced sadness over Jimeta’s demise, saying the country had lost a great son who lived for the nation and served with all his strength.

The President, in the statement issued by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, described the late crack police detective as “a man of great courage, intellect and a true Nigerian statesman”.

Buhari commiserated with his family as well as the government and people of Nigeria over the loss.