COVID-19: Inadequate fund affects local vaccine research, says NIPRD Friday Olokor, Abuja Nigeria has not been progressing rapidly in the local research effort towards developing vaccines to fight COVID-19 because of poor funding, the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development said on Monday. While warning the Federal Government to exercise caution and weigh all options before purchasing any of the vaccines for fighting coronavirus, the organisation raised fears that medicine security threat level in Nigeria was still very high, adding that prioritisation of local products and funding for research would help conquer the threat. The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIPRD, Dr Obi Adigwe, who stated these during a press conference in Abuja, lamented that lack of adequate funding was robbing the agency of opportunity to showcase the potentials and capacity of its professionals.