 Kwara State Government has mobilized no fewer than 60 inoculators for a statewide mass vaccination exercise aimed at combating transboundary animal diseases and safeguarding livestock production.
The State Commissioner for Livestock Development, Mrs Oloruntoyosi Thomas, stated this during the in-house training by the Veterinary Department of the Ministry, explaining the training is designed for healthcare professionals to reinforce safety, technique and administrative best practices.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alhaji Yahaya Mohammed, she described the vaccination exercise as a major boost to livestock health management in the state
She noted that it would significantly reduce disease outbreaks and improve productivity.
Mrs Thomas urged livestock farmers to cooperate with the inoculators to ensure the exercise record a huge success in the state.
The Commissioner added that the inoculators selected for the exercise comprise 50 from government veterinary services and 10 from private organisations, to ensure wide coverage and efficient service delivery.
In his remarks, the Director Veterinary Services of the Ministry, Dr Abdullateef Salman Olugbon, explained that the exercise was launched to combat three devastating diseases like lung plague, foot and mouth disease and Newcastle disease.
Dr Olugbon assured farmers of the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.and stressed that timely vaccination remains one of the most reliable measures for preventing the spread of deadly livestock diseases.
He called on cattle rearers and poultry farmers across the state to present their animals for vaccination, noting that the exercise is critical to improving animal health and ensuring food security.
Earlier, the Project Animal Health Officer at the L-pres, Dr Bukola Richards, said the initiative aligns with the project’s objective of strengthening animal health systems and enhancing resilience among livestock farmers.
Dr Richards noted that collaboration between public and private inoculators would ensure effective reach, particularly in rural communities.
She recalled that the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, through L-PRES, recently delivered vaccines to states as part of efforts to strengthen animal health services nationwide.
