Greece Donates One Million Covid Vaccines to Nigeria

Greece announced on Monday it has donated almost one million Covid-19 vaccines to Nigeria.

The announcement was made by Greek foreign minister Nikos Dendias who was beginning an official visit to the African nation, the first-ever by a Greek foreign minister to Nigeria.

“I am happy that I am symbolically bringing with me a ‘present’ to the Nigerian society and to the Nigerian people. And this is almost a million vaccines,” Dendias said.

“All the world is suffering from COVID-19. But there is one huge achievement through this suffering, that we clearly understand, that we are a world community. That nobody is safe unless everybody is safe. And that health is a global good. And all of us are under the moral obligation to be providers of help whenever and wherever assistance is needed.” the Greek foreign minister added.

Greece donates Covid vaccines to several countries

In the last two months of 2021, Greece donated more than one million vaccines to several countries in Africa and Asia. In November it offered 150,000 doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine to Ghana, 200,000 doses to Gabon and more than 700,000 to Indonesia.

Dendias’ visit to Nigeria after Ghana and Gabon highlights the importance Athens attaches in strengthening relations with African countries.

The connecting bridge between Greece and Nigeria

In his remarks before his meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, Geoffrey Onyeama, Dendias noted the connecting bridge between the two countries:

“I am speaking about the best basketball player in the United States and in the world now, Giannis Antetokounmpo, a household name for every Greek, as Giannis. He is of Nigerian origin, he is a Greek. Again, he is a connecting bridge between us in sport and we are both very proud of him.”