State of Bayelsa, Nigeria, interested in Cuban vaccines

Havana, Jul 5 (Prensa Latina) A delegation from the state of Bayelsa, Nigeria, headed by its governor Douye Diri, on Tuesday meets with executives from companies of the BioCubaFarma Group to assess cooperation they can provide to the pharmacological development of that important state.

Bayelsa authorities are interested in developing a cooperative partnership in the production of vaccines and other medicines, in addition to promoting a bio-pharmacological knowledge exchange program.

“We trust to experience and accumulated knowledge of the Cubans in these important fields, hence our interest in establishing collaboration agreements”, Bayelsa Health commissioner Pabara Newton Igwele told Prensa Latina.

According to diplomats from the Nigerian Embassy, the visiting delegation hopes that a partnership with Cuba generates scientific cooperation, technology transfer, academic collaboration and the co-production of vaccines and other pharmacological products that will benefit the people of the Niger Delta, Nigeria and nations of the West African sub-region.

Governor Diri came accompanied by Secretary of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment, Oliemen Erica Abah; her special adviser Michael Ebisindor Zuokumor; Vice-Chancellor of Bayelsa Medical University, Professor Ibitimitula Nicholas Etebu, and Nigerian Ambassador to Cuba Benaoyagha B. M. Okoyen, in addition to three other officials.

On Monday, the delegation discussed at the Comercializadora de Servicios Médicos de Cuba (the Cuban Medical Services Enterprise) the potential of establishing an agreement for the academic training in this nation of Bayelsa youths in medicine, pharmacy, nursing and electro-medical engineering.