Taraba Livestock Sector Strengthened as L-PRES Intensifies Disease Control

Taraba State’s livestock industry is receiving a major boost as the World Bank-assisted Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project steps up efforts to curb recurring animal disease outbreaks. With thousands of farmers relying on cattle, goats, sheep, and poultry for their livelihoods, the initiative is putting stronger preventive systems in place to protect both rural incomes and food security.

Source: thejunction

At a training session in Jalingo for veterinary officers and animal health technologists, State Project Coordinator Hananiah Albert stressed the urgency of building faster detection, reporting, and response mechanisms. He warned that outbreaks of anthrax, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, hemorrhagic septicemia, and African swine fever have repeatedly destabilized the sector, costing farmers dearly and disrupting trade across the state. According to him, the real danger lies not just in the diseases themselves but in the delays and weak coordination that often allow them to spread unchecked.

Albert explained that L-PRES is working to change this narrative by creating a collaborative platform that brings government, veterinary professionals, and farmers together for stronger surveillance and rapid action. Beyond controlling outbreaks, he noted, the project is building the foundation for Nigeria’s livestock sector to respond more effectively to emergencies while also improving profitability for producers.

Taraba’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Prof. Nicholas Namessan, echoed this call for cooperation, urging communities to see animal health as a shared responsibility. He emphasized that disease control cannot rest on government shoulders alone, but requires the active involvement of private animal health experts, traditional leaders, and farmers themselves. By uniting efforts, he said, the state can build a more resilient livestock sector capable of meeting the growing demands of both local and national markets.