The Centre for Information Technology and Development CITAD with support from MacArthur Foundation has organized a two-day training workshop for eighteen COVID-19 Vaccine Champions selected from Plateau, Bauchi, Borno, Kogi, Kaduna and Kano states of Nigeria.
The training which was held on the 13th and 14th of December, 2021 in Kano was to prepare the participants to enlighten the public on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and counter fake narratives and misconceptions around the virus.
In a communique issued at the end of the training, CITAD says, “Some of the areas the participants were trained on included the following: Understanding COVID-19 Pandemic: National and Global Perspectives, Understanding Fake Narratives around COVID-19, Understanding Social Media-Based Campaign: Deploying the Right Tools, Understanding the Functions and Variations of the Vaccines, Crafting the Message.”
The workshop identified some hindrances to COVID-19 vaccine administration in northern Nigeria to include “Low awareness on the COVID-19 vaccine efficacy and safety, Lack of information on COVID-19 vaccine accessibility, Misconception on fear of adverse effects related to the vaccine and Circulation of fake narratives around COVID-19 and the vaccine.”
The communique said the selected Champions recommended Mass public enlightenment on the vaccine, Provision of sufficient information on vaccine administration spots, Use of local languages in enlightening the public on the vaccine, Door to door campaigns to sensitize individuals at grass root levels among other things as some of the ways to address the challenges.
