FG Targets Eradication of Sheep, Goat Disease by 2030

FG Targets Eradication of Sheep, Goat Disease by 2030

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The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to eradicating Peste des Petits Ruminants, a highly contagious viral disease affecting sheep and goats, by 2030. The assurance was given by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Chinyere Akujobi, at the opening of a two-day Stakeholders’ Workshop on the Review and Update of Nigeria’s National Strategic Plan for the Control and Eradication of Peste des Petits Ruminants in Abuja.

Akujobi described the eradication of PPR as both an animal health priority and a national development goal, noting that eliminating the disease would reduce poverty, improve rural livelihoods, increase livestock productivity, and expand trade opportunities.

The workshop was convened to develop an evidence-based National Strategic Plan for 2026–2030 that would integrate veterinary services with cross-border trade standards and risk mitigation policies.

Akujobi also commended development partners, regional technical organisations, and national experts for supporting efforts to eliminate the disease, adding that the ministry would prioritise a fully costed implementation plan backed by a sustainable resource mobilisation strategy.

“Nigeria has remained fully committed to the global goal, under the leadership of the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Organisation for Animal Health, to eradicate PPR by 2030,” she said.

Akujobi noted that small ruminants serve as the primary economic safety net for millions of households, making their protection critical to the Federal Government’s agricultural transformation agenda.

The Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Samuel Anzaku, also spoke at the workshop, describing the eradication of PPR as a strategic investment in resilient livestock systems, poverty reduction, women’s economic empowerment, youth employment, sustainable rural development, and improved food systems across Africa.

He added that achieving a PPR-free Africa by 2040 would contribute significantly to the aspirations of Agenda 2063, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The renewed push follows earlier efforts by the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development to strengthen Nigeria’s campaign against PPR.

In January, the ministry inaugurated a 33-member National Technical Working Group on the control and eradication of the disease to coordinate national response efforts.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, described PPR as one of the most devastating transboundary animal diseases affecting sheep and goats, warning that it threatens the livelihoods of pastoralists and smallholder farmers, undermines food security, and limits livestock trade.

Nigeria’s eradication of PPR is a major priority for the Federal Government, as it affects the livelihoods of millions of people in rural areas.

The eradication of the disease is expected to improve rural livelihoods, increase livestock productivity, and expand trade opportunities.