Stakeholders in the Kogi State livestock, health and environmental sectors have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the One Health Platform in the State to improve disease surveillance, public health response and sustainable livestock development.

The stakeholders made the commitment during the third quarter stakeholders’ engagement meeting on Strengthening the One Health Platform, organized by the Kogi State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (Kogi L-PRES) in Lokoja.

The meeting was aimed at reviewing the status of the platform in Kogi State, identifying implementation gaps and developing practical strategies for improved coordination among relevant agencies and partners.

The State Project Coordinator of Kogi L-PRES, Otaru Abdulkabir Onoruoyiza, represented by Mrs Bayieri Philomena, emphasized the importance of collaboration among the human, animal and environmental health sectors in addressing zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food safety challenges and other emerging public health threats.

He noted that strengthening the One Health Platform would enhance the state’s capacity for disease prevention, early detection and coordinated response.

The Hon. Commissioner for Livestock Development, Dr.Olufemi Bolarin, underscored the importance of the stakeholder meeting on strengthening the One Health platform in the state, noting that the plan is aimed at preventing, detecting and responding to public health threats by unifying human health, animal health and environmental sectors.

The core focus areas, he said, are zoonosis, which is prioritizing and managing infections that can be transmitted between animals and humans, antimicrobial resistance, and joint surveillance. Others are data sharing, boosting the lab framework, and building early warning systems across different departments.

The Animal Health Officer for Kogi L-PRES, Dr. Khalid Bashir, noted that the meeting sought to clarify stakeholder roles and responsibilities, improve information sharing and joint planning, develop practical recommendations for strengthening governance and sustainability of the platform, promote regular stakeholder engagement and monitoring, and align the state’s One Health activities with the National One Health Strategic Plan and other relevant national frameworks.

In his Address, the Commissioner for Environment and Ecological Management, Engr. Joseph Oluwasegun Stephen, represented by Mrs. Juliana Abraham, described the One Health approach as a critical strategy for tackling interconnected human, animal and environmental health challenges.

He commended the L-PRES Project for supporting the initiative and pledged the ministry’s commitment to environmental surveillance, improved sanitation, climate-resilient livestock production and stronger stakeholder collaboration.

Participants at the meeting made observations on activities relating to the implementation process of the One Health Platform in the state and recommended the streamlining of meeting objectives into more manageable and actionable items to enhance effectiveness and monitoring of outcomes.

Goodwill messages were also presented by representatives of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and other development partners, all of whom pledged continued support toward strengthening multisectoral collaboration for improved public health and livestock productivity in Kogi State.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Livestock Development, who delivered the closing remarks, commended stakeholders for their active participation and valuable contributions. He urged participants to sustain the spirit of collaboration and ensure the effective implementation of resolutions reached at the meeting, noting that a stronger One Health Platform remains vital to safeguarding lives, livelihoods and the environment across the state.