The Federal Government has developed a five-year National Control Strategic Plan (NCSP), to curtail the spread of transboundary diseases in the Nigeria livestock sector.
According to Mohammad Abubakar, minister of agriculture and rural development, the plan will ensure improved animal production and productivity for sustainable livestock development in the country.
Abubakar disclosed this during the flag-off ceremony of the 2022 nationwide mass vaccination campaign against trans-boundary animal diseases in Abuja.
He said: “The ministry in its efforts to curtail the spread of trans-boundary animal diseases had procured 4,148,000 doses of CBPP vaccines, 15,479,500 doses of PPR vaccines, 2,000,000 doses of FMD vaccines and 3,000,000 doses of Newcastle disease vaccines to be allocated to the 36 states of the federation and the FCT based on request.
“The ministry had revalidated the emergency preparedness plan for the control of highly pathogenic influenza and reviewed the animal disease control Act, 2022 which was signed by Mr. President.”
The minister said over the years and in order to ensure effective coverage of the vaccination, the ministry had supported all the states including FCT with veterinary Medicare inputs including vaccines and other consumables, veterinary infrastructure such as primary health centres among others.
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He, therefore, appealed to states to key into the exercise, take full ownership and sustain it in order to protect and preserve the critical livestock resources of the north-central geopolitical zone and the country at large.
According to him, ‘’with the country’s livestock population, estimated at 22,378,374 cattle; 53,061,143 sheep; 99,879,799 goats; 9,299,563 pigs and over 425,790,456 poultry, livestock production remains a key means of livelihood in the country. Indeed, the sector provides gainful employment for about 70 percent of the population, especially the rural dwellers.
“The sector also provides several benefits, such as supply of animal protein, source of income and cash reserves for use in emergency and for fulfilment of cultural and religious obligations.
In addition, the by-products from livestock, including hides and skin are used in the production of materials such as belts, shoes and bags while animal wastes serve as manure for crop production.”
Also, Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, minister of state, FCT, represented by the permanent secretary, Olusade Adesola stated that with the right structure in place, the livestock sector had the capacity to become Nigeria’s second leading revenue earner.
She expressed optimism that with such presidential interventions as the nationwide vaccination exercise, the menace of animal diseases will be curtailed for sustainable development and guaranteed food security in the country.
Maimuna Habib, director veterinary and pest control services of the ministry of agriculture reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to capacity building in the federal and state levels through training and re-training of officials to detect and check disease emergencies.
