site.btaBulgaria Aids Vaccine Production in Nigeria

Implementing a decision adopted by the Council of Ministers, Bulgarian Ambassador a in Abuja Yanko Yordanov signed on June 28 a grant agreement to the amount of EUR 30, 000 in support of local vaccine production in Nigeria, the Bulgarian Embassy in Abuja said.

This is Bulgaria's contribution under a wider EU initiative - Team Europe Initiative on Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies (TEI MAV+).

The beneficiary is the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), which was also a partner in the successfully completed first Bulgarian project under the Team Europe Initiative which resulted in the development and approval of Nigeria’s National Vaccine Research and Development Plan.

Ambassador Yordanov said that the newly secured financial support from Bulgaria will move from conceptualization and planning to practical deployment of local production and access to vaccines in Nigeria in implementation of the National Plan. Ambassador Yordanov also stressed that this project is part of the joint efforts of Bulgaria and Nigeria to further intensify the bilateral partnership, especially in the context of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

On behalf of NIPRD, which is the only vaccine and drug research agency in West and Central Africa, Executive Director Prof. Obi Adigwe expressed gratitude to Bulgaria for the decision to continue funding projects of significant importance not only to Nigeria but to the entire region.