The Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, Kogi State Chapter, has called on the state government to employ at least two veterinary doctors in each of the state’s 21 Local Government Areas to strengthen rabies surveillance and the One Health response.
The Chairman of the association, Dr Tolu Omotugba, made the call on Monday in Lokoja during a press briefing to mark the 2026 World Rabies Day at the NVMA Secretariat.
Omotugba said Kogi could not afford to be complacent about rabies given its large dog population, many of which are used for hunting and security purposes, as well as the state’s porous borders.
He described rabies as a disease that is 99.9 per cent fatal once symptoms develop but 100 per cent preventable.
According to him, veterinary officers in the state civil service were doing their best, but their numbers remained inadequate.
“We have about 28 to 30 veterinary officers currently in the Kogi civil service, which is not enough. Some LGAs do not even have the presence of a veterinary officer. Most states in the federation have between 50 and 100; some have about 200.
“We are suggesting a minimum of two per LGA so that they can at least do disease reporting, especially for diseases of public health concern. If the state can do well, they can have as many as five per LGA,” he said.
Omotugba recalled that 12 people, including three members of the same family, died from rabies in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State in 2025.
He warned that “a single dog bite, a single scratch, can end a family.”
The 2026 World Rabies Day theme, “Stronger Together”, he said, highlights the importance of collaboration among the Ministries of Health, Environment, Education and Livestock, as well as veterinary and medical professionals, environmental health officers and community leaders.
Omotugba commended the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, for its target of achieving 70 per cent annual dog vaccination coverage and zero human deaths from rabies by 2030.
He said 26,000 vaccine doses were deployed to eight high-risk states in 2025, while the Federal Capital Territory recently commenced vaccination of 20,000 dogs.
The NVMA chairman also criticised the continued reliance on outdated laws governing rabies and dog ownership in Kogi, including the Rabies Act of 1935 and the Dogs Law, Cap 36 of Northern Nigeria.
He said the laws provide for measures such as seizure and licensing but do not adequately address modern dog population management and enforcement.
According to him, fewer than five per cent of dogs in Lokoja, Okene, Anyigba and Ankpa are licensed.
“We cannot eliminate a 21st-century disease with 20th-century laws,” he said.
Omotugba urged the state government to domesticate the Kogi State Rabies Control and Responsible Dog Ownership Bill 2026.
He said the legislation should make annual dog vaccination compulsory, establish a dog registry, impose penalties for stray dogs and replace shooting on sight with humane methods of dog population management.
He also called for a dedicated rabies budget line under the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project to fund free mass vaccination, public sensitisation and post-exposure prophylaxis in state hospitals.
The association further advocated the creation of a Kogi One Health Rabies Task Force to coordinate efforts toward controlling the disease.
“Let Kogi lead as the first state in North-Central to be rabies-free,” he said.
