Asian Tech Press (Aug 26) -- A Nigerian health official said Tuesday local time that Nigerian regulators have approved China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccinene for emergency use in the country.

Faisal Shuaib, director of Nigeria's National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), said Tuesday at a press conference in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) had completed its final assessment and agreed to approve Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in the country.

The vaccine is produced by China National Biotec Group Co., Ltd. (CNBG), a subsidiary of Chinese state-owned drugmaker Sinopharm Group Co. Ltd.

This is the first Chinese COVID-19 vaccine approved in Nigeria.

According to the information released by CNBG on August 25, Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for emergency use or market access in 101 countries, regions, and international organizations.

CNBG said the vaccine has been registered and marketed in 9 countries, including China, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Bolivia, Seychelles, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Malaysia and Peru, and the vaccination population has covered 196 countries.