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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The federal government in collaboration with its development partners in the livestock sector announced plans on how to control and eradicate Peste Des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in Nigeria.
Speaking during the 3rd PPR Roadmap and Blueprint Meeting for West Africa Countries, in Abuja, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, stated that PPR also known as sheep and goat plague, is a highly contagious viral disease that affects small ruminants causing significant economic losses and threatening the livelihoods of millions of rural families in West Africa.
According to him, the impact of PPR extends beyond animal health, affecting food security, economic stability, and the overall well-being of our communities and the most vulnerable in society.
The Minister pointed out that the production, trade, and marketing of sheep and goats were seriously constrained by the continuous presence of PPR, which limits its productivity and access to markets.
He stressed that the eradication of PPR and other trans-boundary Animal Diseases (TADs) was a critical component of the present administration, adding that eliminating the disease will not only protect our livestock but will also empower our rural communities and contribute to the nation’s economic resilience.
“It is on record that since the inception of the PPR Global Eradication Programme, the Ministry has developed a PPR Strategy for the control and eradication in Nigeria, national-wide socio-economic impact assessment and prevalence studies have been carried and in recent times over 12.5 million doses of PPR vaccine have been procured and deployed to the field for vaccination campaigns,” he said.
He added that laboratory diagnostic capacity had been enhanced, stressing that Nigeria in the coming years would ensure animal vaccination of 75% of sheep and goats against PPR.
Speaking further, Abdullahi highlighted the challenges to include: gaps in funding, logistical hurdles in reaching remote areas, and the need for continuous training and capacity building for our veterinary workforce.
He noted that to address these challenges, “we must strengthen our partnerships, both regionally and internationally and mobilize the necessary resources to support our concerted eradication efforts, cross-border collaboration remains critical to make meaningful progress to achieve the desired result”.
In his welcome address, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Representative AD Interim in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Koffy Dominique, represented by Otto Vianney Muhinda stated that the meeting provided a crucial forum to enhance coordination among countries with the aim of spearheading accelerated progress towards PPR.
He pointed out that the second phase of the PPR Global Eradication Programme (or PPR GEP Blueprint) was launched in November 2022 by FAO, WOAH and partners at the FAO headquarters in Rome, while the Pan-African Programme for Eradication of PPR (2023-2027) was recently endorsed and launched by the Ministers in charge of Animal Resources Development.
He added that both PPR GEP BP and the Pan African Strategy recognize that progress towards the objectives of PPR eradication, veterinary services strengthening and a more productive small ruminants sector relies upon strong strategic partnerships with regional organizations and Regional Economic Communities, which must provide regional ownership, leadership, collaboration and coordination.
