Vaccination campaign advances in Nigeria

Nigerian health workers are making progress in vaccinating residents of a Fulani community near the capital, Abuja.

Vaccine hesitancy has been high in the Fulani community due to the spread of false information.

Health workers are using the example set by President Muhammadu Buhari, also a Fulani, who has been innoculated.

"We have been visiting these people (in the past) to collect the vaccine. They refused. But now today we came to their aid to tell them that the President is of their tribe. As Fulani, he has received (the jab) and it's (been) shown in the media - which everyone has seen. We now use it as a strategy to tell other Fulani here that they have to collect this vaccine. But luckily enough today we have vaccinated so far many people in this camp" said health worker Ahmed Jamiu.

Ibrahim Al-Hassan is a 47-year old cattle herder who has changed his mind after initially refusing to be vaccinated

"COVID-19 vaccine is good - I have taken the vaccine together with my wife and my brother, I'm calling on all Fulani people to come out and take the vaccine. The vaccine is good", said the cattle herder.

Health authorities have set an ambitious goal of vaccinating more than a quarter of the population by the end of February.

So far, only around 4% of the population have been vaccinated. The population of Nigeria is estimated at 206 million people.