Nigeria and five other African countries have been selected by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to begin the production of their own mRNA vaccines.

This was announced by the WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, on Friday.

The announcement was, however, disclosed via the verified Twitter handle of the World Health Organisation.

The six African countries announced by the WHO Director-General to begin their own vaccine production include Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia.

He stated that the six countries will receive the technology needed to produce mRNA vaccines on the African continent.

Tedros said: “Today I’m delighted to announce the first six African countries that will receive technology from the hub to produce their own mRNA vaccines: Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia.

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“WHO will work with the companies and the government in each country to develop a roadmap for training and production, based on their needs and capacities.”

Another tweet revealed that the WHO Director-General made the announcement at the African Union summit in Brussels, Belgium on Friday.

The summit was hosted by the European Council, France, South Africa, and WHO.

The event had in attendance President Macron of France, South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

TheStar