Health
Why Russia’s Vaccine Diplomacy Failed Africa

By Kester Kenn Klomegah
In these difficult and crucial times, the strategic partnership with Africa has become a priority of Russia’s foreign policy, declared Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Affairs Minister.
The difficult times understandably refer to both the COVID-19 pandemic and the current period when Russia’s own “special military operation” in Ukraine has shattered the global economy.
But why is Russia very quiet over its vaccine diplomacy in Africa? What have Russia-African Union relations brought to the health sector in Africa? Why Russia’s vaccine diplomacy could arguably be described as a failure for vulnerable groups and vaccinable people among the 1.3 billion population.
The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) estimated approximately 28 per cent of the entire African population was vaccinated over the past two years. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and a few African leaders have vehemently accused European and Western countries with advanced pharmaceutical technologies of hoarding COVID-19 vaccines.
Russia was the first advanced country that came out with Sputnik V in August 2020, in fact, less than a year when coronavirus was declared an epidemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). But Sputnik V has never been approved by the WHO primarily because of a lack of transparency of Russian laboratories in addition to the fact that it was approved before going into compulsory phase III clinical trials, breached relevant international protocols and ruined its reputation from the outset, and further in Russia as demonstrated by a high degree of vaccine hesitancy.
The Sputnik V was developed by the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. It was later registered under the emergency use authorization procedure, according to the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) website.
The RDIF is Russia’s sovereign wealth fund established in 2011 to make equity co-investments, primarily in Russia, alongside reputable international financial and strategic investors. The Kremlin offered this agency the full-fledged task of managing and directing all aspects of COVID-19 vaccine production and distribution.
The RDIF has made a substantial contribution to developing and marketing Sputnik V, the first registered COVID-19 vaccine, in the world. Sputnik V was heavily promoted via a professional international marketing campaign and Russia obtained commercial contracts for close to 800 million doses of Sputnik V. Russia has only delivered 108 million doses, i.e. less than 15%.
In the first place, Sputnik V has little impact in Africa. Second, there is no African country manufacturing Sputnik V so far. In fact, Russia signed manufacturing agreements with no less than 23 countries to produce Sputnik V. However, only a few countries actually started production due to delays in the supply of raw materials. As one of very few countries, Russia stayed completely outside the COVAX Facility and it played no significant role in vaccine donations.
Holding the heck of the bumpy road during the pandemic period, Russia made progressive steps, resembling a substantial breakthrough to save human extinction. It swiftly registered the vaccine in many countries and often promised to establish manufacturing points in a number of countries, including Africa. But in critical assessment, we cannot skip the messy description, from various points of view, that Russia’s vaccine diplomacy has failed Africa. Certainly, that was the case with Russia’s diplomacy in Africa.
President Vladimir Putin has oftentimes praised the entire healthcare system, and particularly the hard-working team of scientists and specialists from different institutions for their efforts at research and creating a series of vaccines for use against the coronavirus both at home and abroad.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry reports indicated that the Sputnik V vaccine was registered in the following African countries: Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tunisia, the Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zimbabwe.
However, the majority of African countries where Sputnik V was registered could not get supplies to purchase as promised. Admittedly, Russia faces vaccine production challenges to meet the increasing market demand and to make prompt delivery on its pledges to external countries.
Russia’s drive to share the Sputnik V vaccine offers a chance to raise its image and strengthen alliances in Africa. It has made some vaccine deliveries by sprinkling a few thousands, but only to its preferred countries including North Africa (Algeria Morocco and Egypt), East Africa (Ethiopia), Southern Africa (Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe) and West Africa (Guinea). Media reports say, South Africa, a member of the BRICS group, categorically rejected the Sputnik V donation from Russia.
Furthermore, an official media release in mid-February 2021 said that the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team – set up by the African Union (AU) to acquire additional vaccine doses so that Africa could attain a target immunization of 60% – received an offer of 300 million Sputnik V vaccines from the Russian Federation. It was described as a “special offer” from Russia. In the end, Russia never delivered the 300 million vaccines as contracted.
In the Situation Analytical Report on Russia-Africa, compiled by 25 Russian policy experts, headed by Sergei A. Karaganov, Honorary Chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, and was released in November 2021, pointed to Russia’s consistent failure in honoring its several pledges over the years. That report vividly highlighted contracts to supply Russian-made vaccines to Africa that were not fulfilled through the African Union. “Having concluded contracts for the supply of Sputnik V to a number of African states, Russian suppliers failed to meet its contractual obligations,” says the report.
Another report also compared Russia’s vaccine diplomacy with Europe, China and other external countries: (https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/vaccinating-world-between-promises-and-realities_en). The report says one and a half years after the start of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, the European Union (EU) can be proud of what it has achieved to help vaccinate the world, and in particular low- and middle-income countries. The EU’s record stands in contrast to what China and Russia did beyond the bluster of their noisy “vaccine diplomacy” during these years.
In 2021, the subject was not only dominating the headlines but also at the centre of international relations, with major powers, in particular China and Russia, conducting active vaccine diplomacy to extend their global influence by promising to provide vaccines to the world. From the outset, the EU had chosen to act in a multilateral framework, by supporting the COVAX facility launched by the WHO to jointly purchase and supply vaccines to low and middle-income countries.
The report says, based on data collected by the multilateral institutions, the EU has actually been by far the largest exporter of vaccines in the world. With 2.2 billion doses supplied to 167 countries, we exported almost twice as many vaccines as China, three times as much as the United States and 20 times as much as Russia.
Of these 2.2 billion exported doses, 475 million were donated to 104 countries, of which 405 million via COVAX and 70 million bilaterally, particularly in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership. In terms of donations, the United States did slightly more than the EU, with 542 million doses donated to 117 countries. But the EU has actually donated far more vaccines than China – with just 130 million to 95 countries – and Russia – with only 1.5 million doses to 19 countries.
The EU has not only exported and donated vaccines but also helped to develop vaccine production in Africa: last year, the EU with its member states and financial institutions committed over one billion euros to finance this development.
By 2040, the African Union wants that 60% of the vaccines used on the continent are manufactured in Africa and the EU fully supports that goal. This year already, two factories will be installed in Rwanda and Senegal and commercial production is set to begin in 2023. Close cooperation is also ongoing with South Africa’s Biovac Institute and partners in Ghana.
In these difficult and crucial times, Russian vaccine diplomacy has been a total failure and this was already the case before its “special military operation” in the former Soviet republic of Ukraine. In short, the vaccine diplomacy of these two countries, Russia and China, can be summarized as “great expectations – broken promises.”
The EU has a lot to be proud of, not only did it manage to vaccinate its own population against Covid-19 in a short period of time, but it has also been the world’s largest exporter of vaccines and the second largest donor to low- and middle-income countries. The EU has accomplished much more in this area than China and Russia together. Building on this solid track record, the EU will continue to support access to vaccines worldwide, particularly by helping with vaccine manufacturing in Africa.
Health
VP, Governor Hail Rite Foods’ Chairman for Trauma Centre Donation to OOUTH

By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The chairman of Rite Foods Limited, Mr Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa, has been commended for donating an ultra-modern Trauma Centre to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) in Sagamu, Ogun State.
The facility, donated to mark his 80th birthday, is a one-stop trauma centre with all the medical equipment and healthcare personnel to handle about 2,000 trauma cases in a month, from the severe to the minor ones.
Speaking at the commissioning of the 50-bedded facility, named Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa Trauma Centre, by the Vice President of Nigeria, Mr Kashim Shettima, on Saturday, April 5, 2025, it was stated that the centre would enhance healthcare delivery for accident victims and other trauma-related cases within Ogun and neighbouring states.
Mr Shettima noted that the provision of the healthcare facility was timely, as it aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda for upgrading the health institutions in the country.
He described the life of the donor as well lived, with significant impact in the society and immediate community, creating employment for the indigenes of Ogun State, through valuable business enterprises, like Rite Foods Limited and Ess-ay Holdings Limited, which has contributed to the growth of the state’s and national economy.
According to the VP, Mr Adegunwa has inscribed his name in gold, adding that the octogenarian believes in leaving legacies that lives for generation and this has prompted the trauma centre which will impact lives tremendously.
On his part, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State applauded the philanthropic initiative of Mr Adegunwa, saying he has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the healthcare system of Ogun State, and that the trauma centre marks a significant milestone towards attaining that.
In her remark, the Chief Medical Director of OOUTH, Dr Oluwabunmi Fatungase, said the 50 bedded centre has been the desire of the management of the hospital, as the old 20 bedded accident and emergency centre is too small to accommodate accident victims within the state, which serves as a route for travellers traversing the different regions of the country, with a 41.5 percent accident rate.
She said it is a dream of over 20 years by various administrations come true as there is no General Hospital from Lagos to Benin and Ibadan to take care of accident victims, thereby making the trauma centre a well thought out project by Asiwaju Adegunwa.
On his part, Mr Adegunwa said, “Today, l am filled with immense joy as l reflect on Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa Trauma Centre as another fulfilment of opportunity to serve a higher calling to give and serve.”
Health
Iwosan Investments, Mayo Clinic to Deliver World-class Healthcare Services

By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A partnership to advance high-quality patient-centred healthcare in Nigeria has been entered into between Iwosan Investments Limited and Mayo Clinic Global Consulting.
The aim is to advise and support Iwosan in delivering world-class healthcare services that will positively impact both local and regional communities.
This includes the enhancement of Iwosan’s hospital network starting with Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals and the development and integration of the Lagos Medipark Hospital.
Mayo Clinic Global Consulting will to provide strategic advice on organizational objectives and clinical practice.
Under the consulting contract, Iwosan will work with Mayo Clinic experts on several projects to advance high-quality, patient-centred healthcare in Nigeria.
Mayo Clinic is a global leader in serious and complex healthcare. Mayo Clinic Global Consulting is designed to share Mayo Clinic’s unique, comprehensive capabilities and knowledge.
The focus of this engagement is to help the Iwosan network improve administrative efficiencies and effectiveness and to enhance medical practice and patient care through the application of Mayo Clinic’s integrated clinical care and practice models.
“This marks a significant milestone in our commitment to delivering exceptional healthcare services to the people of Nigeria.
“With guidance from Mayo Clinic Global Consulting, we are confident in our ability to set new benchmarks in healthcare excellence in our region,” the chief executive of Iwosan Investments, Mrs Fola Laoye, stated.
Iwosan Investments is a healthcare investment company with an ongoing commitment to revolutionize healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
Health
NAFDAC Intensifies Efforts to Block Substandard Products from China, India

By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is increasing efforts to block the entry of substandard and counterfeit products into Nigeria, particularly from China and India, the country’s two largest pharmaceutical trade partners.
This was revealed by Mrs Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of the agency, emphasised that the Clean Report of Inspection and Analysis (CRIA) scheme has significantly strengthened regulatory control over imports from these nations.
The two nation’s account for 60 per cent of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical imports and yet, there is a lot of counterfeit and substandard medicines from these countries.
She said, “Because most of these drugs come from China and India, the CRIA scheme is operational in those two countries,” adding that, “It ensures that only safe and high-quality products are shipped while preventing the export of substandard and counterfeit products.”
She note that NAFDAC has appointed and accredited CRIA agents in China and India to conduct rigorous pre-shipment inspections to tackle the issue.
In addition to appointing CRIA agents in China and India, NAFDAC is collaborating with COTECNA, a global testing, inspection, and certification service provider, to enhance quality control measures.
Mrs Adeyeye urged stakeholders to engage with these CRIA agents before shipping any consignment to Nigeria, saying, “I strongly encourage you to engage with CRIA agents before shipping any consignment–that is, to our stakeholders– from China, India, or Nigeria. You have the flexibility to choose from any of the listed CRIA agents to ensure compliance and safeguard the quality of imported products.”
NAFDAC also introduced an electronic platform, the Port Inspection Data Capture and Risk Management System (PIDCARMS), to enhance document verification and streamline inspection processes.
Mrs Adeyeye noted that CRIA agents will ensure that rejected shipments carrying drugs will not find their way to the country.
She urged stakeholders to visit NAFDAC’s official website for guidelines on product registration, labelling, and shipment requirements to ensure compliance with regulatory standards in order to prevent such lapses and ensure only approved products enter Nigeria.
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