The Nigerian Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has flagged off the vaccination and treatment of livestock across the Six Area Councils of the territory.
Flagging off exercise at Nyanya veterinary clinic in Abuja, the Mandate Secretary, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat of the FCTA, Mallam Abubakar Ibrahim said the initiative would help to curb the outbreak and spread of the disease.
The secretary explained that the exercise was also necessary because of the growing importance of the livestock sector across the country.
He said that livestock is not just a source of food only but an economic value to farmers and the larger society.
According to him, “Our target is to specifically prevent the outbreak and spread of diseases such as the highly contagious Bovine pleuropneumonia in cattle, Rabies in dogs as well as the pest des petit.
“These diseases have high mortality rate on livestock as well as posing a significant threat to public health safety of the residents”
Ibrahim urged members of the public who own livestock to cooperate with the animal health officials whom he said are for free.
He revealed that ninety health officials of the secretariat have been deployed for the vaccination which would last for two weeks in the first phase.
Earlier, the Director of veterinary services at FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS), Dr Regina Adaulugba said, “We have been given a mandate by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to ensure that the diseases are eradicated, they cause a lot of mortality and damages in the livestock sector.
“So, the flag off today is in fulfilment of the mandate at the FCT-ARDS level, we expect that if a cattle is pregnant and is vaccinated it won’t come down with the disease, farmers usually experience losses”
Dominica Nwabufo
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