The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency has advised governors to enforce the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for local and state government workers.
This was contained in a recent advisory issued by the agency.
In the advisory, the NPHCDA said the measure has become imperative in the wake of rising cases of the virus in the country.
It read, “Enact and enforce vaccine mandate for all state and local government workers, direct mandatory set up of mass vaccination sites in public places including markets, parks, event centres, stadia and academic institutions.
“Approve and direct the release of state counterpart funds for advocacy, communication and social mobilization, logistics and additional teams in quarterly tranches.
“Pay weekly unscheduled visits to at least one mass vaccination site to supervise and motivate the vaccination teams, chair weekly review meetings with traditional and religious leaders to address vaccination gaps.”
Reacting to the development, however, Ejike Orji, Senior Special Assistant, Muhammad Bello, FCT minister, told Punch that the final decision to enforce the vaccine mandate lay on the minister.
He said, “Well the vaccine mandate is a Federal Government policy and it is expected that each state will start the process. A lot of people think we are trying to force it but what the government is saying is that if you have a right to not get vaccinated, other people also have the right to not get the virus from you.
“Sooner or later, the FCT will give the instruction. It is the mandate of the minister to do so and he will decide when to fully enforce it.”
The development comes amid concerns over poor the percentage of Nigerians who have been fully vaccinated. As of January 9, 2021, only 4.2 per cent have been fully vaccinated while those that had taken their first dose remained grounded at 9.8 per cent.
