Daniel Adaji
The Federal Government has inaugurated a 33-member National Technical Working Group (TWG) to spearhead coordinated efforts to control and eradicate Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), a highly contagious disease threatening Nigeria’s sheep and goat population.
The working group was inaugurated on Tuesday, in Abuja by the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, as part of a broader strategy to safeguard livelihoods, strengthen the livestock value chain and enhance national food and nutrition security.
Speaking at the event, Maiha described PPR as “one of the most devastating transboundary animal diseases affecting sheep and goats across endemic regions, including Nigeria,” noting that its impact extends well beyond animal health.
He warned that the disease poses a serious threat to pastoralists and smallholder farmers, weakens food and nutrition security, and constrains trade in livestock and livestock products.
According to the minister, small ruminants are particularly important to women, youth and vulnerable rural households, providing a dependable source of income, nutrition and financial resilience.
“For this reason, controlling and ultimately eradicating PPR is not only a veterinary imperative but also an economic, social, and developmental priority for our nation,” Maiha stated.
He added that successful eradication of PPR would directly support economic diversification, poverty reduction, youth and women empowerment, and the expansion of regional and international livestock trade.
Maiha urged members of the TWG to discharge their responsibilities with commitment and professionalism, assuring them of the Ministry’s full policy backing and institutional support.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, described the TWG as a crucial institutional mechanism for translating policy into action and ensuring that Nigeria’s PPR control efforts remain technically sound, harmonised and sustainable.
Represented by the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria (CVON), Dr. Samuel Anzaku, the Permanent Secretary outlined the group’s key mandates, including providing technical oversight on PPR prevention, control and eradication; supporting the development and implementation of the National PPR Control and Eradication Roadmap; strengthening surveillance, vaccination, diagnostics and data management; and promoting effective coordination among federal and state institutions, research bodies, the private sector and development partners.
Earlier, the Head of the Department of Animal Health and Reproductive Services, Dr. Michael Alao Mitchell, said the inauguration marked a significant milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen animal health systems and combat PPR, which continues to endanger the livestock sector and rural livelihoods.
The inauguration attracted participants from research institutions, veterinary hospitals, development partners, livestock farmers, the private sector and other key stakeholders.
