The Federal Government has renewed its campaign to eliminate Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), a contagious viral disease that affects sheep and goats, with a target of achieving nationwide eradication by 2030.
The commitment was reaffirmed during a two-day stakeholders’ workshop in Abuja focused on reviewing and updating Nigeria’s National Strategic Plan for controlling and eliminating the disease.
Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Chinyere Akujobi, said ending PPR is essential not only for animal health but also for improving rural livelihoods, reducing poverty, increasing livestock production and boosting trade.
She said Nigeria remains committed to the global campaign led by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Organisation for Animal Health to eliminate PPR by 2030. According to her, the country has strengthened disease surveillance, expanded laboratory capacity, carried out vaccination campaigns, investigated outbreaks and improved stakeholder engagement and response systems.
Akujobi noted that sheep and goats are a vital source of income for millions of households, making their protection a key part of the government’s agricultural development plans. She also warned that PPR continues to cause major economic losses across Africa, Asia and parts of the Middle East.
She added that with more than 200 million sheep and goats and extensive livestock trade routes linking neighbouring countries, Nigeria must intensify measures to control the disease. The updated 2026–2030 strategic plan, she said, will strengthen veterinary services, improve cross-border cooperation and enhance disease risk management.
Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Samuel Anzaku, said the revised plan would align with international eradication guidelines and regional ECOWAS coordination efforts. He explained that the strategy would rely on updated disease data, improved mapping of high-risk areas, targeted vaccination and stronger collaboration between laboratories and disease surveillance teams.
Also speaking, African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources representative Dr Perdita Hilary Lopes said eliminating PPR would strengthen livestock production, reduce poverty, create jobs, empower women and improve food security across Africa.
Nigeria has already taken several steps to tackle the disease, including inaugurating a 33-member National Technical Working Group earlier this year to coordinate eradication efforts. The country’s campaign forms part of a wider global initiative to eliminate PPR by 2030, with West African countries also strengthening surveillance and cross-border cooperation.
