FG begins free mass vaccination campaign against TADs

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has commenced a nationwide 2022 free mass vaccination campaign against trans-boundary animal diseases (TADs) in the North West zone of Nigeria. The exercise was held at Maigatari Local Government Area, Jigawa State, a border town, as part of Federal Government’s policy to contain livestock diseases and achieve herd immunity for prevention and possible eradication. The targeted diseases include contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, (CBPPV), foot and mouth disease (FMDV), Pest Des Petits Ruminants (PPRV) and Newcastle disease (ND).

The minister, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Muhammad Abubakar, said the gesture would be replicated in other geopolitical zones of the country. Represented by the Director and Chief Veterinary Officer of the Federation, Dr. Maimuna Habib, Abubakar described livestock production as a major means of livelihood for Nigerians, which employs about 70 per cent of its population and that the livestock industry provided economic and food security, nutrition and means of livelihood for majority of rural dwellers. “Livestock supplies the much-needed protein for the growth of our children, spendable income and cash reserves for use in times of emergency, and are handy to fulfill cultural and religious obligations”, he added.

The minister said the Federal Government, through the ministry, would be supporting states in the zone with 1.5 million doses of CBPP vaccines, one million doses of PPR vaccines, 357,567 doses of Newcastle disease vaccines and 830,000 doses of FMD vaccines. Out of the figures, Jigawa is allocated 252,000 doses of CBPP vaccines, 120,000 doses of FMD vaccines, 152,000 doses of PPR vaccines and 51, 081 doses of ND vaccines. The minister said Nigeria currently had about 22.3 million cattle, 53.06 million sheep, 99.8 million goats, 9.2 million pigs and over 425.7million poultry spread across the six geopolitical zones of the country. “The full potentials of these animals and the attendant socio-economic benefits they provide cannot be guaranteed unless they are in a state of good health, which can only be achieved through vaccination against the killer diseases. Therefore, Nigeria would continue to support and collaborate with states in carrying out annual vaccinations against these trans-boundary diseases in our livestock population in order to achieve the much-desired herd immunity for prevention and possible eradication”, the minister disclosed.