As part of efforts to protect animals, strengthen food security and reduce the risk of diseases spreading from animals to humans, the Gombe State Government has launched a statewide vaccination campaign against major livestock diseases.
The campaign targets cattle, sheep and goats against Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia, Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Peste des Petits Ruminants.
The exercise was flagged off by the Deputy Governor, Manassah Jatau, at Tumfure Bashar along the Gombe-Biu bypass in Akko Local Government Area.
Jatau urged local government authorities, traditional rulers, livestock associations, farmers and other stakeholders to support the campaign and ensure that animals are made available for vaccination.
He said improving livestock health would support farmers’ livelihoods, enhance food safety and contribute to economic diversification, given the sector’s importance to employment and household income across the state.
The deputy governor also highlighted measures taken by the state to strengthen animal health services, including the establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development, the renovation and equipping of veterinary clinics, and the construction of a veterinary diagnostic laboratory and a solar-powered cold-chain facility.
He added that livestock training centres had also been established, while annual vaccination campaigns against animal diseases were being sustained.
The state government is also developing an 184-hectare Special Livestock Development Zone, which is expected to feature an ultra-modern abattoir, tannery, international livestock market, veterinary hospital, poultry facilities and an inland dry port.
According to Jatau, the project is designed to improve livestock production and processing within the state, reduce the need to transport live animals and raw products over long distances, and create additional economic opportunities.
He also disclosed that the government had established a Farmers-Herders Resolution Committee to address disputes and support the re-demarcation and marking of cattle routes and grazing reserves.
The deputy governor urged herders to cooperate with veterinary officials and use designated livestock routes, noting that the movement of cattle on major roads contributes to road deterioration and increases maintenance costs.
The Commissioner for Livestock Development, Salisu Alkali, said the creation of the ministry reflected the state government’s recognition of livestock as an important driver of economic growth.
Alkali said the administration was strengthening preventive animal healthcare through routine vaccination, disease surveillance and improved veterinary services.
He noted that the latest campaign was particularly important during the harvest season, when increased movement of livestock from neighbouring states could heighten the risk of disease transmission.
According to the commissioner, government interventions have contributed to a reduction in livestock mortality in the state, from 28.1 per cent in 2022 to 12.2 per cent in 2025.
He said ongoing investments in livestock production and processing were aimed at strengthening the value chain, creating jobs and reducing losses associated with transporting animals and raw animal products outside the state.
Earlier, the State Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr Abdulhamid Garba, described the vaccination exercise as a joint effort to protect livestock resources, farmers’ livelihoods, food security and public health.
Garba called for stronger cooperation among federal and state livestock authorities, local governments, veterinary professionals, farmers, traditional and community leaders, development partners and the private sector.
He urged livestock owners to present their animals for vaccination, promptly report suspected disease outbreaks and avoid obtaining veterinary medicines and vaccines from unauthorised sources.
The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, he said, would continue working with the Gombe State Government to achieve broad vaccination coverage across the state.
