WHO cannot dictate to Nigeria on COVID-19 - Minister of Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora

The Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora has said that the World Health Organization, WHO, cannot dictate to Nigeria on how it should handle COVID-19.

Speaking at the daily press briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Mamora said that WHO can only give guidelines to countries.

The Minister stated this in reaction to Nigeria's decision to go ahead with the clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine despite the WHO suspending it.

He said, “We are still working on drugs. Don’t forget that even the hydroxychloroquine is still being worked on as we speak. It’s important for us to make it clear that the WHO does not dictate to countries as to what to do.

“They only provide guidance and guidelines, not dictate, because the reality is that each country is expected to look at those realities on ground and leave room for innovation, flexibility and adaptation as dictated by the realities on ground in each country.

“So we’re still looking at the issues of drugs; we are still looking at the issues of vaccine as well, also in the areas of research.”

The Minister added that the Federal Government has been working based on science and research concerning the virus.

“One of the researches that have come out of our own situation is establishing that what we have here is the same strain in Wuhan,” he said.