By Awyetu Asabe Hope
The Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project under the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development says more than 23.3 million animals have been vaccinated against major livestock diseases across 20 states.
The vaccinations covered over 10 million cattle, 9.1 million goats and sheep, and more than 4.1 million poultry birds against diseases including Anthrax, Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia, Peste des Petits Ruminants, Foot and Mouth Disease, and Newcastle disease.
The World Bank-supported project, funded with about $500m over six years, has also established a 40-million-dose strategic vaccine storage facility in Abuja and increased the National Veterinary Research Institute’s annual vaccine production capacity from 150 million to 850 million doses.
Speaking at the end of the project’s mid-term review in Abuja, the World Bank Task Team Leader, Dr Menniviel Sene, urged stakeholders to accelerate implementation to ensure lasting benefits for livestock farmers and rural communities.
National Project Coordinator, Dr Sanusi Abubakar, said the project had supported the construction of seven model veterinary hospitals, with three completed and commissioned, while 13 others are under construction nationwide.
He added that the initiative is strengthening livestock research, feed systems, and productivity infrastructure across the country.
According to him, the rehabilitation of the National Feed Reference Laboratory at the University of Ibadan has been completed, while new laboratories are being developed at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, and Umudike in Abia State.
Abubakar said the project also upgraded facilities at the National Animal Production Research Institute, Zaria, including seed multiplication centres, hay barns, boreholes, and water systems.
He disclosed that 1,492 farmers had benefited from expanded artificial insemination services, with over 3,489 cattle inseminated to improve breeding and genetics.
He added that all 20 participating states had established One Health platforms to strengthen collaboration among animal health, public health, and environmental institutions.
The project also recorded strong female participation, with over 181,000 women benefiting directly from interventions.
According to the mid-term review, more than 388,000 farmers have benefited from the programme, while over 101,000 adopted improved livestock technologies.
The report further showed improvements in livestock productivity, with annual milk production per cow rising from 274.5 litres to 375.9 litres, while cattle carcass weight increased from 135kg to 160kg. Sheep production also rose from 14.22kg to 21.43kg.
