In an effort to safeguard Taraba State’s livestock industry from recurring disease outbreaks, the World Bank-backed Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project has intensified its disease prevention initiatives, targeting farmers raising cattle, sheep, goats, and poultry.
At a recent training workshop held in Jalingo for veterinary officers and animal health technologists, Hananiah Albert, the State Project Coordinator, highlighted the project’s focus on enhancing early disease detection, efficient reporting, and rapid response mechanisms.
“Livestock diseases such as Anthrax, Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), Hemorrhagic Septicemia, and African Swine Fever continue to disrupt production and trade in Taraba, significantly affecting farmers’ livelihoods and threatening food security,” Albert stated.
He stressed that weak surveillance systems and delayed reporting often worsen the impact of outbreaks.
His words: “What makes these outbreaks more devastating is the delay in detection and the gaps in reporting and coordination among field officers and response systems.
“This is why L-PRES is working to build a collaborative platform where all stakeholders can work together for effective surveillance and control.”
Albert further noted that the project goes beyond simply containing diseases—it is also designed to enhance Nigeria’s emergency response capacity in the livestock sector, while promoting greater commercial viability for farmers.
In his remarks, the Taraba State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Prof. Nicholas Namessan, reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting the initiative.
He emphasized the need for collective action in addressing animal health challenges.
“Disease control should not be left to the government alone.
“We need continued collaboration with private animal health professionals, community leaders, and farmers to build a more resilient and productive livestock sector,” Prof. Namessan said.
