The Veterinary Council of Nigeria identified a paucity of funds, inadequate collaboration, a dearth of workforce, and inadequate facilities and vaccines as major impediments to rabies eradication in the country.

The acting registrar of the council, Oladokun Fadipe, said this in an interview in Abuja on Sunday, to mark World Rabies Day.

Mr Fadipe said the government must dedicate adequate resources to mobilise personnel for mass dog vaccination nationwide. According to him, once the government achieves mass vaccination in one year, dog owners will subsequently have a duty to present their animals for routine vaccination, with sanctions for non-compliance.

“We need to get to that point where there are resources to mobilise people to go round and ensure that all dogs are vaccinated. We can then begin to impose sanctions or penalties on any dog owner who fails to comply,” he said.

The acting registrar decried the inadequate workforce and facilities to attend to persons bitten by rabid dogs.

He disclosed that only 12,700 veterinarians are registered in the country, while registered para-veterinarians are below 10,000, against an estimated 50,000.

Mr Fadipe said only a few veterinarians are in government service, while the majority are in the private sector and others outside the country, describing the number in public service as grossly inadequate for the 2030 eradication target.

He called for recruiting more workers, upgrading facilities, and boosting NVRI’s capacity to produce enough vaccines to meet national demand.

Mr Fadipe further urged stakeholders to desist from working in silos and embrace collaboration. He described the commemoration as a season of collaboration, not competition, in line with the 2026 theme.

(NAN)