The Federal Government has officially commenced a nationwide integrated sero-surveillance and sero-monitoring exercise across 10 focal states in a decisive move to combat transboundary animal diseases and safeguard Nigeria’s livestock sector.

The Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Dr Samuel Anzaku, disclosed that the nationwide initiative strictly aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

In the statement by the ministry’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Henrietta Okokon, Anzaku said the initiative is being executed through the Ministry of Livestock Development as an intervention designed to reinforce livestock productivity, safeguard pastoral livelihoods, and actively advance the global mandate to eradicate PPR by the year 2030.

He further noted that the exercise covers 10 states strategically selected based on spatial distribution and scientific risk stratification.

He listed the focal states currently undergoing this extensive surveillance to include Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Ogun, Imo, Cross River, Kano, and Katsina.

Emphasising the fundamental necessity of empirical data in disease control, Anzaku said “Disease surveillance without adequate laboratory confirmation limits our ability to understand what is actually happening. We need current, geographically representative, and scientifically defendable evidence on where PPR is circulating, where susceptible populations are concentrated, and what level of immunity exists within our herds and flocks.”

Detailing the operational framework, the Chief Veterinary Officer explained that field operations have been meticulously structured across four high-risk Local Government Areas (LGAs) within each focal state, culminating in a total of 40 designated local councils nationwide.

During the exercise, veterinary teams are utilising standardised sampling grids specifically designed to capture critical data across migratory pastoral corridors, commercial livestock holdings, and smallholder village flocks, the statement contains

The resulting data from these 40 local councils is expected to provide comprehensive state-specific serological profiles.

It will also assist health authorities to identify immunity and exposure gaps, adequately assess post-vaccination responses and inform future vaccination alongside holistic disease control strategies.

Ultimately, the findings are expected to establish reliable epidemiological and serological evidence crucial for effective PPR vaccination planning.

The government maintains that this data-driven approach will substantially contribute to building stronger animal health systems while protecting the vital economic livelihoods of small-ruminant farmers and livestock-dependent communities across the federation.

The critical operation, driven by the formal deployment of highly trained field veterinary officers and epidemiologists, marks a significant transition from preparatory phases to active operational data gathering in the field.

The deployment is also said to directly follow the successful conclusion of an intensive capacity-building workshop held in Lafia, Nasarawa State strategically organised in partnership with the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) to equip veterinary personnel with modern epidemiological tracking techniques.

Ministry, the field officers are actively targeting five priority transboundary animal diseases that pose severe threats to agricultural stability.

These include Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP), and Newcastle Disease (NCD).

Also, the surveillance teams are conducting rigorous routine monitoring for Anthrax and Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD).