Aliyu Bala Gerengi, Gombe
The Gombe State Government has flagged off the 2025/2026 statewide vaccination campaign against major transboundary animal diseases.
Representing Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya at the Flagg off of the exercise at Tumfure Bashar along the Bye-Pass in Gombe, the Deputy Governor, Manassah Daniel Jatau PhD, said the campaign was aimed at improving animal health and, by extension, protecting human health and the environment.
Dr Jatau, said healthy animals provide safe meat and other valuable products, while livestock remains an important source of livelihood, employment, nutrition and economic diversification and noted that livestock contributes to the economy through meat and dairy production, animal traction, manure, leather and leather products, as well as socio-cultural and religious activities.
The Deputy Governor highlighted that the state government had demonstrated commitment to livestock development through the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development, renovation and equipping of veterinary clinics, construction of a veterinary diagnostic laboratory and a solar-powered cold-chain facility, as well as livestock training centres.
He said the government had also sustained statewide vaccination campaigns against animal diseases and commenced the establishment of a 184-hectare Special Livestock Development Zone, comprising an ultra-modern abattoir, tannery, international livestock market, veterinary hospital, poultry production unit and inland dry port.
Dr Jatau noted that the project would help reduce the challenges associated with transporting live animals to other parts of the country and provide better opportunities for livestock owners and to
The Deputy Governor said the administration remains committed to promoting peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders across the state.
He urged local government chairmen, traditional rulers, livestock associations, farmers and livestock owners to support the vaccination exercise and cooperate with veterinary personnel.
The Deputy Governor also appealed to herders to make use of designated cattle routes instead of highways, noting that movement of cattle along major roads contributes to road deterioration and increases government maintenance costs.
Dr Jatau thereafter formally declared the 2025/2026 statewide livestock vaccination campaign open, with a call for all stakeholders to work together towards healthier animals, improved livestock production and sustainable economic development in Gombe State.
Earlier, the state Commissioner for Livestock Development, Alhaji Salisu Alkali Baba 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.
He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to strengthening veterinary services, disease surveillance, livestock production and the overall livestock value chain and 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 Ahmed Sa’eed Guli appreciated all contributors to the success of the Flagg off program 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. Abdul Hamid Shauti Garba described livestock production as a critical component of 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.
Shauti 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, calling on livestock farmers to cooperate with the vaccination team by make their animals available to be vaccinated.
The Gombe state chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Rearers Modibbo Yaya applauded governor Muhammadu Inuwa 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 route and grazing area in Dukku which 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 Gómb community and animal health workers.
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