Government moves to eradicate tsetse flies nationwide

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, yesterday hinted that his ministry would construct a facility to produce sterile male tsetse flies to mutilate the population of the insect nationwide.

The minister, who was opening the 35th International Scientific Council for Trypanosomiasis Research and Control (ISTRC) in Abuja, said tsetse fly had posed serious problems to livestock production and human health in Africa.

“Its effective control has become absolutely necessary for us in Africa to attain self-sufficiency in livestock production as well as maintain human health,” he stated.

Onu affirmed the leadership role taken by Nigeria to eradicate the scourge on the African continent.