Foreign news
WHO spokesperson reveals details of its expert team visit to Wuhan
Even as vaccines are rolled out, COVID-19 continues to ravage the world, having caused nearly 2 million deaths. The situation is in dire need of stronger global cooperation. That spirit can be at least reflected by the latest World Health Organization (WHO) expert team’s visit to China which will start in Wuhan, where the first cases of infections in China were reported.
“This is about understanding what happened so that the world can be better equipped as the world to prevent it happening again,” said WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris in an exclusive interview with CGTN host Tian Wei. She stressed that the field trip is “not about finding someone to blame. Let’s leave the politics out of it.”
Dr. Harris revealed that preparations about the mission started last October. There were a few virtual meetings held since then. This trip will be about a wide variety of subjects related to the discovery research of the origins of COVID-19. While no quick answers are expected.
The WHO team of 10 experts from 10 different countries are expected to visit the Chinese city Wuhan, where cases of infections were first reported at the end of 2019. Yet later discoveries found the presence of the virus in Spain, Italy and the U.S., demonstrating how much is still unknown about the virus.
While the world is bogged down by this pandemic, there appear a few COVID-19 vaccine candidates that have been developed at unprecedented speed. But that very fact has made people uneasy: was it developed too fast? Are those vaccines trustworthy?
“People should be concerned about the safety issues,” noted Dr. Harris, but she explained that one thing that has really slowed down vaccine development in the past was getting the funding for the studies, and this time that part got ample support.
Harris said that only after very careful review of data on issues of safety and efficacy, and visiting manufacturing factories, would the WHO put a vaccine on its Emergency Use Listing (EUL). So far only the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine received the validation at the end of last year, but more announcements could be made as soon as in the next few weeks, according to Harris. Among those are candidates coming from Sinopharm and Sinovac, two Chinese vaccine developers.
The COVAX program was set up by the WHO with GAVI, the vaccine alliance, to help distribute vaccines to more countries. China joined COVAX last year.
Out of the 42 countries that are rolling out COVID-19 vaccines, 36 are high-income countries and six middle-income countries. “So there’s a clear problem that low- and most middle-income countries are not receiving the vaccine yet,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus earlier this month.
“We are not happy that it’s not happening quickly enough,” said Harris, “but we determined to make it happen.”
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Foreign news
Namibia Embassy Celebrates 35th Independence Anniversary in Abuja
…As Nigeria-Namibia Trade Relations Expand
By Joel Ajayi
The Namibian Mission in Nigeria recently marked the 35th Independence Anniversary of Namibia with a vibrant celebration in Abuja, marked by pomp and excitement.
Speaking at the event, His Excellency Humphrey Geiseb, High Commissioner of the Republic of Namibia to Nigeria, commended the resilience of every Namibian who fought for the country’s freedom and democracy.
“This day reminds us of the sacrifices made by countless Namibians who gave their lives for our freedom. As our national anthem says, ‘Their blood waters our freedom.’ Namibia’s independence on 21 March 1990 was the result of a long and tireless struggle. We continue to honor the legacy of those who fought for a free and democratic nation,” he stated.
He emphasized that this year’s celebration holds additional significance:
“A few weeks ago, Namibia witnessed the inauguration of Her Excellency Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as the 5th President of the Republic of Namibia. This marks a historic milestone, not only for our country but for the entire SADC region, as she is the first woman to hold the highest office in the land.”
He praised the progress Namibia has made in gender representation, noting that President Ndaitwah’s administration includes a female Vice President, nine women Cabinet Ministers, and a female Speaker of Parliament.
“This shows that women occupy top leadership positions in Namibia, demonstrating that they can lead with strength, vision, and wisdom,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s role in Namibia’s independence struggle, the High Commissioner expressed deep gratitude:
“Namibia’s fight for independence would not have been successful without the unwavering support of our international friends, and Nigeria was a key partner. From the 1960s to the 1980s, Nigeria welcomed Namibians—particularly students—and supported liberation movements in Southern Africa through political, economic, diplomatic, and logistical means.”
He noted that, since independence, Namibia has enjoyed peace and political stability for 35 years without internal conflict. However, challenges such as poverty and unemployment persist. The government remains committed to improving living standards and achieving the goals of Vision 2030, aiming to solidify its high middle-income status.
Despite challenges in securing financial support due to its middle-income classification, Namibia continues to advance across multiple sectors.
Geiseb also acknowledged Nigeria’s contribution to strengthening bilateral ties.
“I want to sincerely thank the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the successful outcomes of the 5th Session of the Namibia-Nigeria Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation, held in February 2025 in Namibia.”
That session resumed official dialogue between the two nations after a 15-year hiatus and introduced new mechanisms for deepening collaboration.
Highlighting growing economic ties, the High Commissioner mentioned that two Nigerian companies—Premier Charcoal and King Charcoal—are thriving in Namibia’s charcoal industry, exporting high-quality products to the international market. Additionally, Namibia exports salt worth approximately $5–6 million annually to Nigeria.
“We look forward to further expanding our trade relations, and we hope Nigerian products will soon be available in Namibian supermarkets,” he said.
He concluded by appreciating Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the entire Nigerian government for their continued support in strengthening Namibia-Nigeria bilateral relations.
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