Distributes veterinary equipment, laboratory reagents and consumables to States

By Gabriel Ewepu – Abuja

As zoonotic diseases ravage human and animal health across borders, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, moved to prevent transboundary animal diseases with distribution of veterinary equipment, laboratory reagents and consumables to Ministries of Agriculture and Veterinary Teaching Hospitals.

Abubakar who flagged off distribution of the equipment and other materials at the Veterinary Council of Nigeria, VCN, headquarters in Abuja, explained why the Ministry is embarking on the distribution of the equipment and other materials across the country, said to enhance effective diagnosis and efficient animal health service delivery by livestock farmers in the country.

The Minister who was represented by Director, Federal Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services/ Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria (CVO), Dr Maimuna Habib, said  Federal Government is to ensure the prevention and control of animal diseases, especially the transboundary animal and zoonotic diseases.

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He said: “The commitment of the Federal Government is to ensure the prevention and control of animal diseases, especially the transboundary animal and zoonotic diseases such as Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), Foot and Mouth (FMD) Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), African Swine Fever (ASF) and Newcastle Disease (NCD) for improved livestock production and productivity.

”These laboratory diagnostic and vaccination equipment, cold chain facilities and sample collection and packaging items you are about to receive from us were procured through special intervention fund by FGN to complement the efforts of State Ministries of Agriculture/Livestock and the Veterinary Teaching Hospitals in research & development, epidemiology & surveillance as well as disease control.

“The production of safe and healthy livestock population would consequently guarantee healthy living for the human population since it has been reported that about 75 per cent of emerging and re-emerging diseases are from animal origin. Such examples of these diseases are: Tuberculosis, Lassa fever, Rabies, Ebola and even the COVID-19.”

Speaking further, the Minister said since Nigeria is a signatory to the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA), the agreement provides a great opportunity, particularly for investors in the agricultural sector to explore the international market at zero tariff cost.

According to him, ‘’Huge livestock population and increased production potential provides a great deal of advantage for the livestock sub sector to thrive considerably, thus returning Nigeria as one of the major continental players in the sub-sector.”

Meanwhile, he called on States and Veterinary Teaching Hospitals (VTHs) ‘’to ensure that these items received are judiciously used for their purposes.

“This will bring about consolidation on the gains recorded in the prevention and control of livestock diseases in the country.”

Earlier,  the Director, Department of Veterinary and Pest Services in the Ministry, Dr. Maimuna Habib, represented by the Director / CVO –Epidemiology, Dr James Balami, said the Ministry through the “Department of Veterinary and Pest Control over the years has been supporting the States Veterinary Services and the VTHs with Veterinary Drugs and Medicare ,Cold Chain Facilities ,Consumables and Laboratory Equipment to aid in the provision of quality animal health care delivery services and training of clinical students to meet global standards and best practices.”

Vanguard News Nigeria