The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to the control and eradication of Peste des Petits Ruminants, a highly contagious viral disease affecting sheep and goats, saying it remains on course to eliminate the disease by 2030.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by the Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations Department of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Henrietta Okokon.
According to the statement, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Chinyere Akujobi, gave the assurance in her opening remarks at the two-day Stakeholders’ Workshop on the Review and Update of Nigeria’s National Strategic Plan for the Control and Eradication of Peste des Petits Ruminants, held in Abuja.
Akujobi described the control and eradication of PPR as not only an animal health objective but also a national development imperative, noting that tackling the disease would reduce poverty, improve rural livelihoods, boost livestock productivity, and expand trade opportunities.
According to her, “Nigeria has remained fully committed to the global goal, under the leadership of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), to eradicate PPR by 2030.
