Anambra has taken delivery of its allocated vaccines under the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support project for mass vaccination of livestock against major transboundary animal diseases in Nigeria.

The vaccination program under the L-PRES project aims to improve animal health, enhance livestock productivity, food safety and security in Nigeria.

Sanusi Abubakar, L-PRES national coordinator, made the presentation in Awka on Thursday.

He said that the L-PRES project was in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the federal government of Nigeria, which prioritised the transformation of the livestock industry and the strengthening of the national health system project in Anambra.

He said that the vaccine delivery exercise would be conducted in Abia, Anambra, Imo, Jigawa, Kastina, and Osun. Ogun and Lagos were part of the L-PRES nationwide transboundary animal disease vaccination exercise.

Mr Hassan said that it was a key intervention aimed at improving disease prevention and control, enhancing livestock productivity, protecting pastoral and farming livestock, and supporting national food security objectives.

He also noted that media coverage of the activities would help showcase the government’s commitment to livestock sector reforms.

It would also promote public awareness of animal health interventions and highlight the impact of World Bank-supported initiatives in Nigeria.

“We procured vaccines for the foot-and-mouth disease vaccine, which is for goats, sheep, and cattle. We have contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, mostly in cattle. The goal is to strengthen animal health services in Nigeria and control transboundary animal diseases nationwide to improve productivity and food security,” he said.

Hassan assured that all the states of the federation would be covered in the exercise.

Rose Ejidike, the director of the Veterinary Services Department in Anambra, receiving the vaccines from the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development through the L-PRES projects, reiterated that the activity was to control TADs to improve livestock productivity.

(NAN)