Nigeria, Feb. 14 -- Nigeria has called for a continental shift towards health security sovereignty, urging African countries to reduce dependence on foreign aid and build self-sufficient health systems.

Nigeria's Vice President Kashim Shettima made the call on Friday during a high-level side event on "Building Africa's Health Security Sovereignty," held on the margins of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa.

The event also marked the formal launch of the Africa Health Security and Sovereignty Initiative, a collaboration between Nigeria and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to mobilise investment in health workforce development, community health...