President Muhammadu Buhari leaves Abuja on Sunday for Seoul, South Korea to participate in the First World Bio Summit jointly organised by the government of host country and the World Health Organisation, WHO. The two-day Summit holding between October 25-26 has the theme “The Future of Vaccine and Bio-Health”.
A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina says Nigeria was invited to the Summit based on her selection with five other African countries by WHO and the European Union, EU during the last EU-African Summit in Brussels, Belgium in February this year for mRNA technology transfer and Global Training Hub for Bio-manufacturing of vaccines on the African continent.
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Also expected to feature at the World Bio Summit are CEOs of global vaccine and Biologics companies who will share and shape ideas on the theme, given that, according to the organisers, “global health security profoundly depends on the innovation and development in the bio-industry.”
The partnership between the Republic of Korea and WHO, is therefore, to underscore not only the above historic truth, but also the need to launch international stage-efforts on the nature of creativity and innovation required to contain any future health pandemic.
President Buhari, who is expected to deliver a statement at the Summit, and meet separately with President Yoon Suk-yeol of the Republic of Korea, will also seek other ways of more effective partnerships that impact positively on the lives and safety of Nigerians during his other engagements and meetings while in Seoul.
Accompanying the Nigerian leader are Governors Aminu Bello Masari and Abubakar Sani Bello of Katsina and Niger States; Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Health, Industry, Trade and Investment, Geoffrey Onyeama, Osagie Ehanire and Adeniyi Adebayo along with Timipre Sylva who is the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.
Others on the delegation are the National Security Adviser, Major-General Babagana Monguno (Rtd); Director-General of National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; NAFDAC Director-General Professor Moji Adeyeye, NCDC Director-General, Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa; NIMASA Director-General, Bashir Jamoh; Chairman, NiDCOM Abike Dabiri-Erewa as well as other top government officials.
President Buhari is expected back home after the Summit.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
