The federal government on Tuesday inaugurated a strategic veterinary vaccine cold storage facility in Agege, Lagos, with a capacity to store about 40 million doses.

Livestock development minister Idi Maiha said the facility would strengthen Nigeria’s animal health security, improve vaccine availability and reduce wastage.

Mr Maiha said animal diseases, including Peste des Petits Ruminants, Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia and foot-and-mouth disease, remained major constraints to livestock productivity and food security.

He said the solar-powered facility would strengthen disease-control campaigns by ensuring proper vaccine preservation and improving access to them.

According to him, the facility is part of the federal government’s livestock transformation agenda, being implemented through the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), with support from the World Bank.

The minister disclosed that similar vaccine cold storage facilities had been established in Sokoto, Abuja, Yola, Edo and Imo as part of efforts to create a national vaccine storage and distribution network.

He also said that the upgrade of the National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, was expected to increase Nigeria’s vaccine production capacity from about 120 million doses to more than 850 million doses annually.

“Our ambition is clear; Nigeria must progressively attain veterinary vaccine self-sufficiency and position itself as a major vaccine production and supply hub for West Africa and the African continent,” he said.

Mr Maiha said the investment would contribute to healthier livestock, improved productivity and greater economic opportunities for livestock farmers.

He commended the Lagos government, World Bank, L-PRES and other partners for supporting the project.

(NAN)