• Nigeria approved a national 2026-2036 roadmap to modernize veterinary services and strengthen animal disease management.
• Authorities plan to improve disease surveillance, vaccination systems, livestock traceability and veterinary laboratory capacity.
• The initiative comes as Nigeria faces renewed anthrax outbreaks and persistent livestock disease threats across multiple sectors.

Nigeria approved a national roadmap aimed at strengthening animal health management and modernizing veterinary services over the 2026-2036 period during a workshop organized by the Ministry of Livestock Development in Abuja from April 28 to April 30.

According to a statement published on the ministry’s website, the 10-year plan seeks to improve animal disease surveillance, strengthen veterinary laboratory capacity, expand vaccination systems and modernize livestock identification and traceability mechanisms.

Under the strategy, stakeholders adopted several resolutions focused on strengthening institutional capacity, establishing sustainable financing mechanisms and improving disease reporting systems.

In addition, authorities plan to develop a coordinated national vaccination strategy among states, expand public-private partnerships across the livestock value chain and accelerate digital transformation through an integrated approach linking animal, human and environmental health.

“This roadmap provides a clear and forward-looking vision for building a modern, resilient and internationally compliant veterinary system that supports livestock productivity, protects public health and facilitates safe trade,” said Idi Mukhtar Maiha, Nigeria’s Minister of Livestock Development.

Meanwhile, the initiative comes as Nigeria faces a resurgence of anthrax after more than a year without any major reported outbreak. Anthrax is a bacterial infection that primarily affects livestock, including cattle, sheep, goats and horses.

On April 2, Nigerian authorities reported a new anthrax outbreak to the World Organisation for Animal Health in a domestic livestock farm located in Zamfara State.

Before that notification, Nigeria had not reported any major anthrax outbreak since January 2025.

A More Concerning Animal Health Situation?

Beyond anthrax, which currently dominates livestock health concerns in Nigeria, several other animal diseases continue to pose major risks to the sector, with disease patterns varying across regions and production systems.

In its latest agricultural sector performance report, the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services had already highlighted a concerning picture of livestock health conditions in 2024.

According to the report, cattle remained highly exposed to contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and bovine tuberculosis, all of which authorities reported in several parts of the country.

Meanwhile, small ruminants, particularly goats and sheep, faced significant exposure to peste des petits ruminants (PPR), with outbreaks recorded in the North-Central, North-East and North-West regions.

In the poultry sector, Newcastle disease (NCD) emerged as the most widespread disease and affected nearly all regions of the country in 2024.

Producers also faced recurring outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), fowl cholera, Gumboro disease (IBD), avian typhoid and chronic respiratory disease (CRD), depending on the region.

The swine industry also remained exposed to animal health risks. The NAERLS report identified cases of African swine fever (ASF), mainly in the North-Central region, while various parasitic diseases continued to affect farms in the North-East.

It remains unclear to what extent the newly announced roadmap will sustainably reduce the health vulnerability of Nigeria’s livestock sector over the coming years.

This article was initially published in French by Stéphanas Assocle

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum