The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has inaugurated the Technical Working Group, to strategize measures in the fight against Contagious Bovine Pleuro-Pneumonia (CBPP) in Nigeria.
The Technical Working Committee was inaugurated by the Honorable Minister of Federal Ministry Livestock Development, Dr. Idi Mukhtar Maiha, today 9th April, 2026, in Abuja.
According to the Minister, Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia remains endemic in Nigeria and continues to challenge our aspirations for a productive, resilient, and globally competitive livestock sector.
With an estimated cattle population of about 54.5 million, he said, Nigeria holds one of the largest herds on the African continent, and this places a significant responsibility on us to ensure that animal health risks are effectively managed.
Maiha further said that, the epidemiological situation in year 20253, clearly underscores the urgency of this task and that at least 17 states have reported outbreaks of CBPP, with the disease now cutting across all six geopolitical zones of the country.
The Minister, informed the Committee that the total of 131 outbreaks of CBPP have officially been documented in Nigeria, as the figures represents only a portion of the true burden, given the well-known limitations in surveillance coverage, reporting compliance, and diagnostic confirmation, he added.
This situation he stated reflects a disease that is not only entrenched within our production systems but is also sustained by structural challenges that we must now confront decisively.
The Minister explained that, the continued circulation of CBPP is closely linked to patterns of livestock movement across vast transhumance corridors, gaps in vaccination coverage, and weaknesses in early detection and response systems.
He further emphasised that, if left unchecked, these factors will continue to enable silent transmission, periodic outbreaks, and sustained economic losses to livestock owners and the broader national economy.
The implications according to him, goes beyond animal health, affecting food security, rural livelihoods, and Nigeria’s ability to participate competitively in regional and international livestock trade.
Against this backdrop, the Honorable Minister affirmed that the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, has taken a deliberate step to constitute this Technical Working Group, not intended to be another routine committee, but rather a focused, high-level technical platform that would provide the strategic direction required to change the trajectory of CBPP in Nigeria.
The expectation of this Technical Group he explained, will serve as a guide to the development of a coherent and implementable national control framework, that would strengthen our surveillance architecture, improve the effectiveness of vaccination programmes, and support the modernization of our diagnostic systems.
The Minister reiterated the importance of enhanced engagements with livestock owners and other stakeholders whose cooperation is essential for any control measure to succeed in Nigeria.
He assured the Technical Group of the Federal Government’s commitment to fully strengthen the systems that supports animal health services in Nigeria.
He therefore, called for more sustainable progress that would depend on stronger coordination across federal and state structures, for closer collaboration with the private sector, and deeper engagements with regional and international partners.
At the same time, we must be realistic in acknowledging that government action alone will not be sufficient in the drive to combat and eliminate this menace of the disease.
He further said that, the need to scale the complexity of CBPP requires shared commitment from all actors within the livestock value chain.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr. Mrs. Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, said that, CBPP is a major challenge to Livestock farmers in the Agricultural Sector in general.
Through these Working Group, we are hopeful to leverage the experience gained and collaborate to develop strategies to control, prevent and eventually eradicate this disease, she added.
In his goodwill message, the Director, World Health Organization of Nigeria, Dr. Laximikant Chavan, said that about Sixty Thousand lives are lost annually in Nigeria, and called on the Technical Group to engage in strengthening the surveillance system and align this CBPP monitoring with the National Action 2.0 .
He also pledged, the Organization’s support and full commitment to the Ministry in the fight against the scourge of CBPP in Nigeria.
Other goodwill messages were also delivered by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), President, Nigeria Veterinary Association, MACBAN, Bucher’s Association, Veterinary Council of Nigeria and World Organization for Animal Health, amongst others.
Henrietta Okokon
Deputy Director (Press / Public Relations)
9/4/26
