The Federal Government says Nigeria’s animal disease control and eradication strategic plan requires a comprehensive overhaul to effectively tackle Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR).
Dr Samuel Anzaku, Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria (CVON), made this known on Friday in Abuja at a two-day workshop to review the National Strategic Plan for PPR control and eradication.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), PPR, otherwise known as goat plague, is a highly contagious viral disease that kills up to 90 per cent of infected sheep and goats.
The workshop was organised by the Pan-African Secretariat for the Eradication of PPR (PAPS), funded by the European Union under the African Union – Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development (FMLD).
Anzaku said the overhaul would also ensure intensified PPR performance monitoring, the development of an assessment tool with roadmap benchmarks, and strengthened ECOWAS regional coordination mechanisms.
He described the structural update as vital to ensuring that every public and private investment delivers measurable scientific progress toward a PPR-free Nigeria.
Anzaku noted that Nigeria is a high-priority frontline state in the global fight against the disease due to its large livestock population and intensive internal and trans-boundary animal movements across production-consumption corridors shared with Niger, Benin, Cameroon, and Chad.
“For us to unlock the true economic and food security potential of our livestock sector, we must systematically eliminate the threat of PPR,” he said.
Dr Adiya Ode, Team Lead, Propcom+, said PPR remains one of the most economically devastating diseases affecting sheep and goats across Africa and many parts of Asia.
Beyond its direct impact on animal health, she noted that the disease threatens food security, household incomes, nutrition, employment, and the resilience of rural communities.
Ode emphasised that successful control and eventual eradication of PPR represents a transformative opportunity for millions of smallholder livestock keepers, particularly women and youth, who rely on small ruminants for livelihood and financial security.
“The establishment of the FMLD underscores the Nigerian government’s determination to unlock the enormous potential of the livestock sector as a driver of economic growth, job creation, poverty reduction, and national development.
“In this regard, strengthening animal health systems through effective disease surveillance, prevention, control, and eradication initiatives is both a technical necessity and a strategic investment in the future of the livestock economy,” she said.
Ode added that Propcom+ recognises resilient livestock systems as fundamental to improving rural livelihoods, increasing productivity, enhancing market participation, and strengthening climate resilience.
“We also understand that disease outbreaks such as PPR can reverse years of progress, erode household assets, and deepen vulnerability among already disadvantaged populations.
“Propcom+ remains committed to supporting market-based and inclusive approaches that improve livestock productivity, strengthen veterinary and extension services, facilitate private-sector participation, and create opportunities for smallholder producers, especially women and young people, to thrive.
“We believe that investments in animal health, vaccination systems, disease surveillance, and institutional capacity are critical pillars for building a competitive and sustainable livestock sector,” she said.
Mr Abdullateef Ahmed, National President of the Sheep and Goat Development Association of Nigeria (NASHGODAN), commended the Federal Government for its efforts to address PPR.
Ahmed reaffirmed the association’s commitment to supporting the national PPR eradication programme.
“We will continue to mobilise our members to actively participate in vaccination campaigns, disease surveillance, reporting of suspected cases, livestock identification and traceability, and public awareness programmes that promote animal health,” he said.
