FG TARGETS ERADICATION OF SHEEP, GOAT DISEASE BY 2030
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By; Sunmola Ganiyat
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), a highly contagious viral disease affecting sheep and goats, by 2030 through intensified surveillance, vaccination and cross-border collaboration.
The assurance was given by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Chinyere Akujobi, during the opening of a two-day stakeholders’ workshop in Abuja to review and update Nigeria’s National Strategic Plan for the control and eradication of the disease.
Akujobi described the eradication of PPR as both an animal health priority and a national development goal, noting that eliminating the disease would reduce poverty, improve rural livelihoods, boost livestock productivity and expand trade opportunities.
She said Nigeria remains committed to the global campaign led by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) to eradicate PPR by 2030.
According to her, the government has implemented several interventions, including disease surveillance, laboratory strengthening, outbreak investigations, targeted vaccination campaigns, stakeholder engagement and capacity-building programmes to improve disease reporting and response.
Akujobi noted that small ruminants serve as a vital source of income for millions of households, making their protection essential to the Federal Government’s agricultural transformation agenda.
She added that Nigeria, which has more than 200 million sheep and goats, faces heightened risks because of its extensive livestock trade with neighbouring countries, including Niger, Benin, Cameroon and Chad.
The permanent secretary said the workshop aims to produce an evidence-based National Strategic Plan for 2026–2030 that integrates veterinary services, cross-border trade standards and risk mitigation measures.
She also commended development partners and technical organisations for supporting Nigeria’s efforts, adding that the ministry would prioritise a fully funded implementation plan backed by sustainable resource mobilisation.
Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Samuel Anzaku, said the country’s strategic plan must be updated to align with the Global PPR Eradication Programme, Performance Monitoring and Assessment Tool benchmarks and ECOWAS regional coordination mechanisms.
He stressed that the revised strategy should incorporate current epidemiological and laboratory data, improve disease hotspot mapping, adopt risk-based vaccination approaches and strengthen laboratory-epidemiology collaboration.
Also speaking, African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources representative, Dr Perdita Hilary Lopes, described the eradication of PPR as a strategic investment in resilient livestock systems, poverty reduction, women’s economic empowerment, youth employment and sustainable rural development across Africa.
Nigeria’s renewed campaign builds on earlier efforts, including the inauguration of a 33-member National Technical Working Group in January to coordinate the country’s response to the disease.
The country’s eradication strategy aligns with the global objective of eliminating PPR by 2030 and supports broader regional efforts to strengthen surveillance and cross-border cooperation across West Africa.
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