The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to eradicating Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), a highly contagious disease affecting sheep and goats, by 2030.
The government said stronger surveillance, mass vaccination, and improved cross-border collaboration will be key to achieving the target.
The assurance was given by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Chinyere Akujobi, during a two-day stakeholders’ workshop in Abuja to review and update Nigeria’s National Strategic Plan for PPR control.
Akujobi described the fight against PPR as a national development priority, noting that eliminating the disease would reduce poverty, improve rural livelihoods, increase livestock production, and expand trade opportunities.
She said Nigeria remains committed to the global campaign led by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) to eliminate PPR by 2030.
According to her, the government has intensified disease surveillance, laboratory upgrades, outbreak investigations, vaccination campaigns, stakeholder engagement, and capacity-building to improve disease reporting and response.
Akujobi noted that sheep and goats serve as a major source of income for millions of Nigerian households, making their protection critical to the country’s agricultural and food security goals.
She revealed that Nigeria has more than 200 million sheep and goats, the largest population in Africa, while sharing livestock trade routes with Niger, Benin, Cameroon, and Chad, making regional cooperation essential.
The workshop focused on developing an evidence-based National Strategic Plan for 2026–2030, with emphasis on veterinary services, cross-border trade, and disease risk management.
Nigeria’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Samuel Anzaku, said the updated strategy will align with global and ECOWAS guidelines while improving hotspot mapping, laboratory support, and risk-based vaccination.
He added that the revised plan would help Nigeria advance toward international certification as a PPR-free nation.
Representing the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources, Dr. Perdita Hilary Lopes said eliminating PPR would strengthen Africa’s livestock sector, reduce poverty, create jobs for women and youths, and improve food security across the continent.
The renewed campaign follows the inauguration of a 33-member National Technical Working Group on PPR earlier this year by the Ministry of Livestock Development to coordinate Nigeria’s eradication efforts.
PPR remains one of the most economically damaging livestock diseases in Africa, causing heavy losses for farmers. Experts say Nigeria’s renewed strategy will play a major role in achieving the global goal of eliminating the disease by 2030.
