Nigeria, May 3 -- About two months after it rolled out one of Africa's largest COVID-19 vaccination programme, Nigeria has administered only 1.2 million vaccine shots, less than two per cent of a target it set for the end of the year.

To achieve herd immunity against COVID-19, Nigeria had set an ambitious goal of vaccinating 40 per cent of its over 200 million population before the end of 2021, and 70 per cent by the end of 2022.

"About 70 per cent of the total population needs to receive the COVID-19 vaccines to completely eradicate the virus," the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib said in January ahead of the vaccine rollout.

Mr Shuaib said about 40 per cent will be vacc...