COVID-19 Vaccine: Nigeria opens talks with China

Onyeama, right with Wang Yi, visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister

Onyeama, right with Wang Yi, visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister

Onyeama, right with Wang Yi, visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister

By Ifeanyi Nwoko/Abuja

The Nigerian Government said it has opened talks with the Peoples Republic of China to have access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffery Onyeama, made the disclosure on Tuesday in Abuja while briefing newsmen after a bilateral meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi.

Yi is in Nigeria on a working visit.

Onyeama recalled that China was of immense assistance to Nigeria at the advent of the pandemic, noting that the donation of protective equipment greatly helped the nation in the fight against COVID-19.

The minister said that at this point when countries were discovering vaccines and China being one of them, Nigeria was engaging the country in the area of access to the vaccine.

Related News

According to Onyeama, the relationship between both countries is 50 years old, adding that both countries have many areas of cooperation to celebrate.

“We also realised that in 2021, we would be celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the Peoples Republic of China,” he said.

Giving insights into some of the deliberations during the closed door meeting, Onyeama said that he and his counterpart looked at the trade relations between the two countries and areas that could be improved.

He said that they also discussed health issues and the global pandemic.

“In the area of fostering relations, both countries are now considering having a direct flight from Nigeria to China.

“We want to establish direct air link with China. We hope that very soon, a Nigerian carrier would be carrying out scheduled flights to China in the not too distant future,” he said.

Load more