News
No Approved Vaccine Yet In Nigeria For COVID-19- WHO
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday insisted that there was no approved vaccine in Nigeria or any part of Africa for COVID-19 saying researches are still ongoing on the deadly viral disease.
WHO Immunisation Team Lead, Dr Fiona Braka, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the efforts of the world body on the reported vaccines for the deadly virus.
Braka said COVID-19, being a new disease, has no ready vaccines, adding that public safety was the key consideration of WHO campaign for now.
“COVID-19 is a new disease, and as such, there are no ready vaccines available to be deployed for the control of the pandemic.
“However, a lot of research and scientific works are ongoing to develop vaccines, but these usually take time to ensure that it is safe for use in the wider population and also effective for control of the pandemic.
“Public safety is a key consideration in this process,” the WHO team lead said.
Braka said that the claims of vaccines developed for the COVID-19 were untrue and not to the knowledge of the WHO.
“WHO is not aware of vaccine for COVID-19 in Nigeria.
“There is a large scientific study (clinical trial) involving many countries to review the effectiveness of some drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 going on at the moment.
“The result of this clinical trial will help understand the efficacy of these drugs and may inform the review of the case management guidelines,” she said.
On the assessment of Nigeria’s performance in curbing the spread of COVID-19, Braka said that the world health body partnership with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had been helpful.
“Nigerian Government through the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and supported by WHO had developed a preparedness plan for COVID-19 and was implementing this plan when the first case was reported.
“A network of five COVID testing laboratories was set up before the confirmation of the first case and has since been expanded to six additional laboratories over the past two weeks, making a total of 11 laboratories currently.
“From the onset of the outbreak, WHO has developed clinical guidance with input from clinicians around the globe, including in Nigeria.
“These resources include the updated Clinical Management Guidance for COVID-19, the Clinical Care training materials, and the Global COVID-19 Clinical Data Platform, the data tool which makes it possible for WHO to collect core clinical data from hospitalised patients to inform understanding of COVID-19.
“The guidance is continually reviewed, as more evidence become available.
The government has scaled up isolation facilities capacity at state level to ensure readiness to receive COVID patients,” she said.
Braka said that there would be more close observation, while the guidelines of operations of all the agencies assisting in the curbing of COVID-19 would be updated.
“The guidance of the clinical data platform will be continually reviewed, as more evidence become available.
“The government has scaled up isolation facilities capacity at state level to ensure readiness to receive COVID patients and all these helped with the containment of the first cluster of cases.
“With the return of more Nigerians from countries where the outbreak was reported, more cases have been reported and these have been more challenging to contain.
“The government at national and state levels have provided leadership for the response and more needs to be done at the state level as the cases continue to increase,” she said.
Braka, however, listed the key areas of interventions for curbing COVID-19 to include non-pharmaceutical, such as social distancing, surveillance, contact tracing, among others.
“The key areas of interventions required now are the non-pharmaceutical interventions like social distancing, handwashing and respiratory hygiene.
“Others, in addition to rigorous surveillance, are case identification, laboratory diagnosis, contact tracing and isolation and care for all confirmed cases.
“Physical distancing is one of the recommended strategies for preventing human to human transmission.
“The lockdown does facilitate physical distancing and is a welcome intervention.
“However, physical distancing alone will not stop the spread, but needs to be combined with other recommended strategies: testing, isolation of patients, contact tracing and quarantine,” she said.
The WHO official said the United Nation (UN) in Nigeria had launched a basket fund to help fight the deadly viral infection, adding that other donor agencies had also launched trust fund intervention.
“The United Nations in Nigeria has set up a Basket Fund that was launched by the SGF (Secretary to the Government of Federation) last week. Resources from the Basket Fund are supporting critical aspects of the response.
“Donor agencies and governments have been contributing to support WHO’s work in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic globally.
“Funds have been made available to WHO Nigeria through the Regional Office and Headquarters in Geneva which is financing the WHO’s current support to the response in Nigeria.
“We are also grateful to other partners who have supported WHO, Nigeria directly,” she said.
Braka said that WHO had also deployed some team of experts to other African countries.
“WHO is supporting countries globally with response to the pandemic. From the WHO Regional Office for Africa, four experts have been deployed to Nigeria currently.
“There is also remote support provided by experts from the WHO Headquarters in Geneva and the Regional Office in Brazzaville.
“These are in additional to an excellent team of public health experts who already work in all 36 states and the FCT, in the different WHO, Nigeria offices.
“WHO’s extensive Polio Programme resources have already been re-purposed and deployed, and have been crucial in supporting all affected states to mount an initial response, she said.
Braka said that states that had yet to report any confirmed case, there were resources engaged in preparatory activities and surveillance.
“WHO will continue to support Nigeria throughout the response and even during the recovery phase, she said.
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News
Why Ex-Depot Fuel Price Reduction Takes Time To Reflect At Filling Stations — PETROAN
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has explained why the recent decrease in the gantry price of fuel by the Dangote Refinery has not trickled down to retail outlets across the country.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, the President of PETROAN, Billy Gilly-Harry, said that local fuel pricing is shaped by multiple factors.
“Prices reflecting are dependent on availability, cost, and preparing the particular petroleum to be delivered to the people,” he said.
When asked why price increases are felt immediately while decreases take longer, Herry pointed to the realities of supply management.
“It is mainly affected by whether the producer has additional resources or not at the time. Increases in prices are mainly caused by the need to restock. There must be that advantage pushing the price upward to be able to pay for new supplies,” he explained.
On whether existing stock must be exhausted before prices can drop, the PETROAN president acknowledged that this is generally the case.
“That’s the basic idea. But in petroleum, a mixture is involved, and loss is taken, though not in a way that affects the capital needed to restock,” he noted.
Adding to the discussion, an energy analyst, Olabode Sowunmi, highlighted the broader complexities behind Nigeria’s fuel pricing.
He stressed that while the global price of crude oil is often seen as a major determinant, its influence is not always direct in the Nigerian context.
“Global price of crude oil is a factor but a factor internationally and not necessarily in Nigeria,” he stated.
Sowunmi pointed to the example of Dangote Refinery, which, as a primary supplier of gas and some retail products, has agreements to allocate a percentage of his crude for Nigeria at a fixed price pegged in naira.
This arrangement, he noted, means that local pricing is not always tied to international fluctuations.
“So basically the issue will have to be from the point of refinery to where it touches the final person,” he said.
Sowunmi further clarified that international prices would only play a dominant role if global markets had a predominant impact on Nigeria’s supply chain.
“So basically our cost issues in terms of reflecting to the final person deal with our own logistics rather than the geopolitics that is taking place at the moment,” he stated.
When asked why internal logistics seem to matter more during price increases than decreases, Sowunmi acknowledged that the reasons vary but ultimately depend on the seller.
“There could be various reasons, but it all comes down to the seller,” he said, underscoring the role of market behavior in shaping consumer experiences.
Despite these challenges, Herry emphasised the broader mission of the sector.
“Petroleum is concerned with making Nigeria better,” he added
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Nigeria is bleeding, you’re busy planning for 2027 — Reps minority caucus slams Tinubu
The House of Representatives Minority Caucus has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately overhaul the nation’s security architecture.
Minority Leader, Fred Agbedi, made the call at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday, declaring, “Nigeria is bleeding.”
The lawmaker said that the life of every Nigerian matters and that politics must take the back seat to first secure the nation.
According to him, government exists primarily for the security and welfare of the people as enshrined in Section 14(2)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution.
The caucus condemned the murder of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar while in terrorists’ captivity in Katsina State and the subsequent release of his wife under questionable circumstances.
The Reps Minority Caucus extended condolences to the family of the late Nigerian Army spokesman and urged government to work out a pragmatic pathway out of the enduring security challenges.
The caucus leader also condemned the abduction of school children and their teachers in Oyo and demanded “an immediate, coordinated, no-ransom rescue operation for their release”.
“We call for an immediate overhaul of the national security architecture; though a state of emergency has been declared by the President since November 25, 2025.
“The nation requires funding on security intelligence, not propaganda, improve welfare for frontline troops, and not wildcards for appointees.
“We call for a launch a special military operation within 72 hours to rescue the school children and their teachers; no excuses, ” he said.
Agbedi added that the caucus demands a full and transparent investigation into Major General Rabe’s abduction and murder, saying Nigerians deserve to know how terrorists now kill military generals with impunity.
Agbedi frowned at the recent Federal High Court Abuja judgement that ordered the de-registration of five political parties, which the Appeal Court overturned.
The lawmakers urged proponents of political pluralism to remain alert to future attempts at undermining Nigeria’s democracy.
The House of Representatives Minority Caucus equally urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, to wade into the conflicting judgments on party registration to save the judiciary from further embarrassment.
Agbedi said INEC must resist being used to sabotage democracy as the caucus will not accept a 2027 election rigged before it begins.
“We, the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives will not be silent. We will not be intimidated. We will use every legislative instrument to hold this government accountable.
“To Nigerians, do not despair. 2027 will not be decided in a room or by compromised courts. It will be decided by you, the people.
“The opposition parties will stand with you. The opposition will not be muscled out. Nigeria will be rescued,” Agbedi said.
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Headline
Breaking: Diezani Alison-Madueke Cleared of All Charges in UK Corruption Trial
Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke has been acquitted of all bribery charges brought against her in a landmark corruption trial in the United Kingdom, bringing to a close a legal battle that has spanned more than a decade.
A jury at Southwark Crown Court in London on Wednesday found the 65-year-old not guilty on six counts, including five charges of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s petroleum minister from 2010 to 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan, had consistently denied the allegations throughout the proceedings.
British prosecutors alleged that she enjoyed a “life of luxury” funded by oil and gas industry figures seeking access to lucrative contracts in Nigeria’s petroleum sector. The prosecution argued that benefits allegedly provided to the former minister included luxury accommodation, private travel and other high-value gifts.
However, Alison-Madueke maintained that she never accepted bribes and did not exercise direct control over the award of government oil contracts.
After more than 46 hours of deliberations, the jury returned unanimous not-guilty verdicts on all six charges.
The verdict represents a significant setback for British authorities, whose investigation into the former minister began more than ten years ago and became one of the most high-profile foreign corruption cases pursued by UK prosecutors.
Alison-Madueke was one of the most influential figures in Nigeria’s oil industry during her tenure and also served briefly as president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), becoming the first woman to hold the position.
Oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who had faced one count of bribery relating to Alison-Madueke and a separate charge of bribing a foreign public official was also found not guilty.
The former minister’s brother, Doye Agama, 69, who was charged with conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with payments allegedly made to his church, was likewise acquitted.
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