FG Moves to Halt Deadly Sheep, Goat Disease with New Technical Team

Nigeria’s battle against a fast-spreading disease killing sheep and goats took a decisive turn on Tuesday in Abuja as the Federal Government inaugurated a 33-member Technical Working Group to confront Peste des Petits Ruminants, a scourge steadily eroding livestock numbers and rural livelihoods across the country.

Source: efsa.europa.eu

The team was unveiled by the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, who described PPR as one of the most devastating transboundary animal diseases threatening the nation’s livestock sector. He warned that beyond animal losses, the disease strikes directly at food and nutrition security while deepening the vulnerability of pastoralists and smallholder farmers.

Sheep and goats remain a lifeline for millions of rural households, particularly women and young people who depend on them for income, savings, and survival in times of crisis. Maiha noted that controlling and eventually eradicating PPR would strengthen livestock trade, support economic diversification, and accelerate poverty reduction efforts. He urged members of the Technical Working Group to carry out their duties with dedication, assuring them of the ministry’s full support.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr. Chinyere Akujobi, described the group as central to delivering an effective and coordinated national response. Speaking through the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Dr. Samuel Anzaku, she said the team would help ensure that PPR control measures are technically sound, harmonised, and sustainable, while guiding the implementation of Nigeria’s national control and eradication roadmap.

Earlier, the Head of the Department of Animal Health and Reproductive Services, Dr. Michael Alao Mitchell, said the inauguration signaled a major step forward in strengthening Nigeria’s animal health systems. He stressed that the move reflects growing urgency to tackle a disease that continues to threaten livestock productivity and rural livelihoods.

Stakeholders from veterinary hospitals, research institutions, development partners, and livestock farmers were in attendance, reflecting a broad-based and collaborative push to curb PPR and protect a vital segment of Nigeria’s agricultural economy.