Gombe State has commenced its 2025/2026 statewide vaccination campaign against major transboundary animal diseases, with Deputy Governor Manasseh Jatau calling for greater cooperation among livestock owners, farmers, traditional institutions and veterinary officials.
Dr. Jatau, who represented Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya at the flag-off ceremony held at Tumfure Bashar along the bypass on Wednesday, said protecting animal health was essential to safeguarding human health, food security and livelihoods.
The campaign targets Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) and Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in cattle, as well as Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in sheep and goats.
According to the Deputy Governor, the health of humans, animals and the environment is interconnected, noting that diseases affecting animals can have implications for people through consumption of animal products and close interaction with infected animals.
He stressed that healthy livestock provide safer meat and other important benefits, including dairy products, animal traction and manure for agriculture, while livestock and their products also support economic activities such as tanning and leather production.
Dr. Jatau described livestock production as an important source of livelihoods and nutrition, as well as a key component of efforts to diversify the economy.
He said the state government had demonstrated its commitment to livestock development through several interventions, including the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development in line with the Nigerian Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
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Other measures, he said, included the renovation and equipping of veterinary clinics, construction of a veterinary diagnostic laboratory, establishment of a solar-powered cold-chain facility and construction of livestock training centres.
The Deputy Governor also highlighted the state’s continuous vaccination programme against animal diseases.
He disclosed that work had commenced on an 184-hectare Special Livestock Development Zone, which is planned to accommodate an ultra-modern abattoir, tannery, international livestock market, veterinary hospital, poultry production unit and an inland dry port.
Jatau said the project would reduce the need for livestock owners to transport live animals to other parts of the country, thereby addressing some of the challenges associated with long-distance transportation.
He urged stakeholders to support the successful completion and sustainability of the project.
Farmers-Herders Resolution Committee
On farmer-herder relations, the Deputy Governor said the administration had established a Farmers-Herders Resolution Committee to promote peaceful coexistence, as well as re-demarcate and establish cattle routes and grazing reserves.
He said the measures were intended to facilitate livestock movement, reduce farmer-herder conflicts and promote livestock production across the state.
Jatau appealed to local government chairmen, traditional rulers, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, livestock owners, farmers and other members of the public to support the peace-building efforts and cooperate with veterinary personnel during the vaccination exercise.
He also urged herders to make use of designated cattle routes rather than major roads, noting that the continued movement of livestock on roads could contribute to the deterioration of road shoulders and increase maintenance costs for the government.
The Deputy Governor expressed hope that the exercise would improve animal health and contribute to human wellbeing across Gombe State.
The Gombe State Commissioner for Livestock Development, Mr. Salisu Alkali said the campaign was aimed at protecting livestock against priority diseases, including Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in cattle, and Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in sheep and goats.
Mr. Alkali reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to strengthening veterinary services, disease surveillance, livestock production and the overall livestock value chain.
He disclosed that the exercise would cover all Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) across Gombe State.
According to him, the statewide vaccination exercise would run for three weeks, during which the teams would move across the various LGAs and LCDAs to vaccinate animals and support efforts to prevent and control priority livestock diseases.
He urged livestock owners, farmers, pastoralists, breeders’ associations and other stakeholders to cooperate with the veterinary teams and make their animals available for vaccination, stressing that broad participation was essential to achieving effective disease control and protecting the state’s livestock population.
The Commissioner also acknowledged the support of development partners, including the Gombe State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), in strengthening the state’s animal vaccination programme.
In his remarks, the permanent Secretary in the ministry of Livestock development, Mr. Ahmed Guli, applauded the support received from Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s administration to ensure a healthy animal in Gombe State that can enhance the economy growth of the state.
He appreciated all contributors to the success of the Flagg off programme and prayed that the three weeks exercise record the expected success for the overall progress of the state.
The State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Livestock Development Dr. Abdulhamid Garba described livestock production as a critical component of Nigeria’s agricultural economy as millions of the citizens depend directly or indirectly on cattle, goats, sheep, poultry and other livestock for food, income, employment and household security.
Dr. Garba noted that livestock disease has continue to pose threats on the sector, emphasising that the Flagg off of the state wide animal vaccination represents a collective commitment of the federal and state governments to protecting the livestock resources towards safeguarding the livelihoods of farmers, public health and strengthening food security.
He called on livestock farmers to cooperate with the vaccination team by making their animals available to be vaccinated.
The Gombe state chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Rearers, Modibbo Yaya applauded governor Muhammadu Yahaya’s exceptional interest on livestock development, and his effort in ensuring peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders.
He used the opportunity to solicit the governor’s intervention on an encroached cattle routes and grazing area in Dukku which is currently being cultivated by some security personnel thereby denying access for the cattle to graze freely.
The event featured the symbolic vaccination of the animals, a presentation of livestock related items by the Miyetti Allah group Gómbe state branch and the the Gombe community and animal health workers.
