The Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria (CVON), Musa Inuwa has declared that livestock health is a critical pillar for Nigeria’s food security, public health, and economic growth.
He made this known on Friday in Abuja during a capacity-building workshop for veterinary officers, para-veterinarians, and community animal health workers.
The workshop, which was organised by the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), was aimed at strengthening the capacity of Nigerian professionals in livestock disease detection, reporting, control, eradication strategies, and awareness creation.
Mr. Inuwa stressed that livestock disease detection, reporting, control, and eradication were not only technical tasks but also national imperatives.
He highlighted the country’s struggles with priority livestock diseases, which continue to cause huge economic losses, reduced productivity, trade restrictions, and public health emergencies.
He noted that the recent occurrences of Anthrax and African Swine Fever (ASF) underscored the urgent need for improved preparedness and response capacity.
According to him, veterinarians, para-veterinarians, and community animal health workers represent the first line of defence in safeguarding animal health.
“Their roles are interconnected and vital. Veterinarians provide technical leadership, para vets ensure continuity in field-based services, and community animal health workers bring essential proximity to livestock owners in rural and hard-to-reach communities.
“You are the eyes and ears of the national veterinary system. Without your vigilance, early reporting and swift action, our disease surveillance and control systems cannot function effectively,” he said.
He further explained that the training would expose participants to enhanced strategies for disease control and eradication, including vaccination campaigns, movement control, biosecurity measures, and awareness creation.
Reiterating Nigeria’s commitment to international and regional frameworks such as the PPR Global Eradication Programme, ECOWAS, AU-IBAR, and WOAH policies, he said: “The success in these efforts depends on the commitment and collaboration of these professionals.
“We must also promote the ‘One Health approach,’ recognising that animal health, human health, and environmental health are interconnected. This is especially important for zoonotic diseases.
“Strong collaboration between sectors will ensure better outbreak preparedness and response.
“I encourage each of you to take the knowledge, tools and strategies shared here and apply them within your zones of operation.
“Be proactive, committed and be professional.
“Together, let us build a stronger, more responsive, and more resilient animal health system. One that supports not just livestock productivity but also the well-being of our farmers, communities, and our nation.”
Also speaking, Moses Arokoyo, National President of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), described the training as timely and essential, particularly in view of recurring disease outbreaks.
According to Mr. Arokoyo, the rise in population has increased interactions between animals, humans, and the environment, thereby intensifying the outbreak of certain diseases.
“The best thing for us is to ensure that we have adequately skilled personnel because prevention is key, so in the event we cannot prevent it, we should be able to control it.
“We can only control diseases if we master the act of early detection,” he said.
