The Federal Government has reaffirmed its determination to eliminate Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), a highly contagious viral disease that affects sheep and goats, by the year 2030, stressing that enhanced surveillance, widespread vaccination campaigns and stronger cross-border cooperation remain critical to achieving the target.
The commitment was reiterated by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Chinyere Akujobi, during the opening ceremony 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 held in Abuja.
The ministry’s Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Henrietta Okokon, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Friday.
Akujobi described the eradication of PPR as a major national priority, noting that eliminating the disease would not only improve animal health but also contribute significantly to poverty reduction, increased livestock productivity, improved rural livelihoods and expanded trade opportunities.
According to her, Nigeria remains committed to the global campaign spearheaded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) to completely eradicate the disease by 2030.
“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.
“We have implemented a range of interventions, including disease surveillance, laboratory strengthening, outbreak investigations, targeted vaccination campaigns, stakeholder engagement, and capacity-building programmes aimed at reducing the burden of PPR while improving disease reporting and response systems,” Akujobi said.
She explained that sheep and goats represent the primary economic safety net for millions of Nigerian households, making the protection of the country’s small ruminant population essential to the Federal Government’s livestock transformation agenda.
Akujobi noted that PPR remains one of the most destructive transboundary animal diseases affecting sheep and goats across Africa, Asia and parts of the Middle East, with severe economic consequences for livestock farmers.
“This disease continues to threaten livelihoods, reduce household incomes and constrain the growth of the livestock sector. Given that Nigeria has Africa’s largest population of small ruminants, estimated at over 200 million sheep and goats, and shares major transboundary trade corridors with Niger, Benin, Cameroon and Chad, strengthening our control measures is imperative,” she stated.
She explained that the workshop was designed to develop a comprehensive National Strategic Plan covering the period from 2026 to 2030. According to her, the updated strategy will integrate veterinary services with cross-border trade regulations and risk management policies to improve disease control efforts nationwide.
Akujobi also commended development partners, technical organisations and veterinary experts for their continued support in Nigeria’s fight against PPR, adding that the ministry would focus on implementing a fully costed action plan supported by a sustainable funding strategy.
The statement also quoted Nigeria’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Samuel Anzaku, who said the country had made considerable progress in controlling animal diseases but required an updated strategic framework to align with the Global PPR Eradication Programme.
According to him, the revised plan should reflect current epidemiological evidence, laboratory findings, improved disease hotspot mapping, risk-based vaccination strategies and stronger coordination between laboratory services and field surveillance.
“This structural update is vital to advancing Nigeria into PMAT Stage 2 and beyond, ensuring that every public and private investment delivers measurable scientific progress towards achieving a PPR-free nation,” Anzaku said.
Also speaking at the workshop, the representative of the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), Dr Perdita Hilary Lopes, described the eradication of PPR as a critical investment in strengthening Africa’s livestock industry.
She noted that eliminating the disease would support poverty reduction, improve food systems, create employment opportunities for young people, empower women economically and promote sustainable rural development across the continent.
Lopes added that achieving a PPR-free Africa by 2040 would significantly contribute to the realisation of Agenda 2063, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Nigeria’s renewed campaign follows earlier initiatives by the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development to strengthen efforts against the disease. In January, the ministry inaugurated a 33-member National Technical Working Group to coordinate nationwide control and eradication activities.
At the inauguration, 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 pastoral livelihoods, weakens food security and limits livestock trade.
Nigeria’s eradication efforts are aligned with the global initiative jointly led by the FAO and WOAH to eliminate PPR by 2030.
As part of regional efforts, Abuja hosted a West African surveillance workshop in December 2025, where veterinary authorities and technical experts reviewed cross-border disease surveillance systems and risk-based strategies aimed at accelerating the eradication of PPR across the region.
