The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has inaugurated a Technical Working Group to coordinate a national response against Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia, as Nigeria intensifies efforts to protect its livestock industry and safeguard rural livelihoods.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, who inaugurated the team in Abuja on Thursday, said the disease remains endemic and continues to threaten the country’s ambition for a productive and globally competitive livestock sector.
He noted that Nigeria’s estimated 54.5 million cattle population places a significant responsibility on authorities to strengthen animal health systems and contain persistent outbreaks.
Citing recent epidemiological data, the minister disclosed that at least 17 states have recorded cases of the disease, with its spread now cutting across all six geopolitical zones. A total of 131 outbreaks have been officially documented, though he warned that the actual burden may be higher due to gaps in surveillance, reporting, and diagnostic capacity.
He explained that the continued spread of the disease is driven by structural challenges, including uncontrolled livestock movement along transhumance routes, inadequate vaccination coverage, and weak early detection systems.
According to him, these factors have sustained periodic outbreaks and continue to inflict economic losses on livestock farmers and the broader economy, while also posing risks to food security and Nigeria’s participation in regional and international livestock trade.
Maiha stressed that the newly inaugurated Technical Working Group is designed as a focused, high-level platform to reverse the trend, rather than a routine committee.
He said the group is expected to develop a coordinated national control framework, strengthen surveillance systems, improve vaccination strategies, and modernise diagnostic infrastructure.
He further emphasised the need for stronger collaboration with livestock owners and key stakeholders across the value chain, noting that government efforts alone would not be sufficient to eliminate the disease.
Sustainable progress, he added, will depend on effective coordination between federal and state institutions, as well as partnerships with the private sector and international organisations.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, described the disease as a major constraint to livestock productivity.
She expressed optimism that the Technical Working Group would leverage collective expertise to develop practical strategies for the control, prevention, and eventual eradication of the disease.
Also speaking, the Nigeria representative of the World Health Organization, Laximikant Chavan, called for stronger surveillance systems and alignment with national health frameworks.
He reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s efforts to combat the disease.
Goodwill messages were delivered by representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Nigeria Veterinary Association, the Veterinary Council of Nigeria, and other key industry stakeholders, all of whom pledged support towards strengthening animal health systems and addressing the spread of CBPP in the country.
