Nigeria has renewed calls for mass dog vaccination and stronger collaboration to eliminate the cases of rabies before 2030.
This comes as the country recorded more than 100 cases of rabies between January and August 2026.
The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development (FMLD) disclosed the figures during activities marking the 2026 World Rabies Day, held under the theme, “Stronger Together: Ending Rabies in Nigeria.”
The National Coordinator, Rabies Control Programme in Nigeria and Coordinator, National One Health Technical Working Group on Rabies, Dr. George Onyemaokwu, said rabies cases continued to be reported across the country, with between 18 and 20 states recording cases in some months.
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He identified parts of the North-Central and North-East as areas of particular concern and stressed the need for intensified vaccination and responsible dog ownership.
According to Onyemaokwu, Nigeria has an estimated dog population of more than 30 million, making widespread vaccination critical to controlling the spread of the disease.
He said the country was targeting vaccination of about 70 per cent of its dog population, urging state governments, development partners, private-sector organisations and other stakeholders to support mass vaccination campaigns.
“Prevention through vaccination remains critical to saving lives and reducing the economic burden associated with rabies,” he said.
The Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria and Director, Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, Dr. Samuel Anzaku, said the country must move beyond annual awareness campaigns and translate public education into sustained interventions, particularly mass dog vaccination.
Global Effort
Anzaku said Nigeria was joining the global effort to eliminate rabies by 2030, stating that the 2026 campaign would include mass vaccination targeting communities and Area Councils, a technical symposium and wider mobilisation involving State Veterinary Services, development partners, the private sector and other stakeholders.
He also disclosed plans to introduce human pre-exposure prophylaxis for frontline workers who are regularly exposed to dogs, including veterinarians, para-veterinary professionals and hunters.
He stressed that rabies control required a One Health approach involving the livestock, human health and environmental sectors.
Stronger Measures
The Chief Veterinary Officer also called for stronger measures to tackle stray dogs, with the involvement of relevant environmental authorities.
He urged Nigerians to take unusual changes in dog behaviour seriously, including unprovoked aggression, excessive irritability and abnormal biting.
Dog owners, he added, should ensure their animals are regularly vaccinated, while anyone bitten or exposed to a suspected rabid animal should immediately report to the nearest health or veterinary facility for appropriate medical attention.
The One Health Lead at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr. Nasir Ahmed, said sustained collaboration among government institutions, communities and other stakeholders remained essential to controlling the disease.
He said the NCDC continued to support public awareness and access to post-exposure prophylaxis for people exposed to rabies.
Community Engagement
The FCT One Health Desk Officer, Dr. Sharifat Fadugba, called for stronger community engagement, better data on the country’s dog population and increased vaccination coverage, particularly at the grassroots level.
Also speaking, the Chairperson of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), FCT Chapter, Dr. Chinnemeka Irobe, who represented the National President, Dr. Moses Arokoju, disclosed that the association had commenced mass dog vaccination in rural communities across the FCT.
She reaffirmed the association’s commitment to supporting national efforts to prevent and eventually eliminate rabies.
The stakeholders urged Nigerians to practise responsible dog ownership, vaccinate their dogs and promptly report dog-bite incidents to health or veterinary facilities.
They stressed that sustained collaboration across the human, animal and environmental health sectors would be critical to Nigeria’s efforts to eliminate rabies by 2030.
