Nigeria has received four million doses of Moderna's (Nasdaq:MRNA) COVID-19 vaccines donated by the US government, Reuters news agency reported on Tuesday.

Health minister said Osagie Ehanire said that the vaccines, which arrived on 1 August 2021, are undergoing validation by the country's drug regulator.

These doses will be distributed to the local states once they are certified fit for use, Ehanire said.

The US government had shipped nearly 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses last week to the African countries of Nigeria and South Africa.

Ehanire was quoted as telling a COVID-19 briefing: "Vaccination in Nigeria should soon begin with the arrival ... of Moderna vaccines, thanks to the United States government."

He added that Nigeria would receive over 40 million doses by the end of the year, without providing details.

The primary healthcare agency said last month that Nigeria had exhausted an initial supply of nearly 4 million shots and expects to receive nearly 8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of August, including the U.S. government donation.