“COVID-19 Vaccine Is Optional, Nobody Will Be Forced To Take It” – Nigerian Government

The Federal Government has said COVID-19 vaccination will not be mandatory in Nigeria, adding that nobody will be forced to take any vaccine.

The Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora, disclosed this on Wednesday, March 3, 2021, during an interview on Arise TV.

KanyiDaily recalls that on Tuesday, March 2, Nigeria received 3.94 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Assess Facility (COVAX).

When asked if the vaccines will be mandatory in Nigeria, the Minister responded; “Nothing will be made mandatory. It’s optional. The choice is yours. Nobody will be forced to take any vaccine.”

Asked if it might become mandatory in the future, Mamora said, “If that happens, it would not be a decision of Nigeria.”

The Minister further stated that countries might have to start demanding a COVID-19 vaccination certificate before allowing outsiders in.

He said Nigeria may be influenced by a demand by countries for a certificate of vaccination, adding that “it may just be something that will become global.”

“So, it may come to that”, he said, adding that “if you like, call it enlightened self-interest, why should I allow you to bring a deadly virus into the country?”

Meanwhile, the National Healthcare Primary Development Agency has released guidelines on how to register for COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria.