Technology
FG Flags Off Nationwide Vaccination Against Rabies
The Federal Government has intensified its drive to eradicate rabies in Nigeria with the flag-off of a Nationwide Rabies Vaccination Campaign led by the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha.
As part of the nationwide exercise, vaccination teams have been deployed to eight high-risk states — Bauchi, Cross River, FCT, Gombe, Kano, Lagos, Osun, and Plateau — to strengthen preventive measures and support the global goal of eliminating rabies by 2030.
The Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria (CVON), Dr. Samuel Anzaku on Thursday, led the Ministry’s delegation to Plateau State, one of the regions with the highest reported cases of rabies. The official flag-off event took place in Bassa Local Government Area, which currently records the state’s highest number of infections.
In his address, Anzaku reaffirmed the federal government’s determination to stamp out rabies across the country. He urged state governments, veterinary institutions, and communities to sustain collaborative efforts, stressing that rabies prevention requires collective action.
“The theme of this year’s commemoration, you, me, and community, reminds us that rabies elimination cannot be achieved by government efforts alone. It is a shared responsibility and collective investment in the health and safety of our communities,” the CVON stated.
He revealed that under the One Health framework, the Ministry has procured 26,000 doses of anti-rabies vaccines for deployment across the eight states. Plateau State received 3,000 doses, while an additional 1,200 doses were allocated to the University of Jos Veterinary Teaching Hospital to bolster vaccination and surveillance efforts.
The Plateau State Commissioner for Livestock Development, Dr. Sunday Akpa, and Bassa LGA Chairman, Dr. Joshua Sunday Riti, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government and pledged full cooperation to ensure the sustainability of the rabies control campaign.
Representing the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos, the Director of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Prof. Lami Hannatu Lombin, revealed that Bassa Local Government Area alone had recorded 25 cases of rabies in 2025, resulting in 12 confirmed deaths, including a family of three who recently died after dog bites.
She described the fatalities as “deeply tragic,” stressing the urgent need for intensified vaccination and public enlightenment to curb the spread of the disease. Prof. Lombin commended the Ministry for its timely intervention and assured that the vaccines would be judiciously administered to strengthen the state’s rabies prevention drive.
Among dignitaries at the event were the Special Adviser to the Governor on Livestock Matters, Dr. Markus Avory; the Executive Assistant to the Governor, Efficiency Unit, Hon. Gideon Agaldo; the Executive Director of the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Dr. Nicholas Nwankpa; the Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association (Plateau State), Dr. Kumtap Yilji Cashmir; and the Chairman, Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) Plateau State, Dr. Pam Luka. Traditional rulers and community leaders also pledged their support for the campaign.
The delegation later inspected one of the six cold room facilities donated by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) for vaccine storage in Plateau State.
Rabies remains a major public health threat in Nigeria, with an estimated 55,000 deaths recorded annually worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In Nigeria, dog-mediated rabies accounts for more than 95 per cent of human cases, largely due to inadequate vaccination of domestic animals, poor awareness, and limited access to post-exposure treatment.
Studies by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) show that rabies is endemic in all 36 states, with higher prevalence in rural areas where dog vaccination coverage is low. The One Health approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health, is central to Nigeria’s rabies control strategy.
The Federal Government has intensified its drive to eradicate rabies in Nigeria with the flag-off of a Nationwide Rabies Vaccination Campaign led by the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha.
As part of the nationwide exercise, vaccination teams have been deployed to eight high-risk states — Bauchi, Cross River, FCT, Gombe, Kano, Lagos, Osun, and Plateau — to strengthen preventive measures and support the global goal of eliminating rabies by 2030.
The Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria (CVON), Dr. Samuel Anzaku on Thursday, led the Ministry’s delegation to Plateau State, one of the regions with the highest reported cases of rabies. The official flag-off event took place in Bassa Local Government Area, which currently records the state’s highest number of infections.
In his address, Anzaku reaffirmed the federal government’s determination to stamp out rabies across the country. He urged state governments, veterinary institutions, and communities to sustain collaborative efforts, stressing that rabies prevention requires collective action.
“The theme of this year’s commemoration, you, me, and community, reminds us that rabies elimination cannot be achieved by government efforts alone. It is a shared responsibility and collective investment in the health and safety of our communities,” the CVON stated.
He revealed that under the One Health framework, the Ministry has procured 26,000 doses of anti-rabies vaccines for deployment across the eight states. Plateau State received 3,000 doses, while an additional 1,200 doses were allocated to the University of Jos Veterinary Teaching Hospital to bolster vaccination and surveillance efforts.
The Plateau State Commissioner for Livestock Development, Dr. Sunday Akpa, and Bassa LGA Chairman, Dr. Joshua Sunday Riti, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government and pledged full cooperation to ensure the sustainability of the rabies control campaign.
Representing the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos, the Director of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Prof. Lami Hannatu Lombin, revealed that Bassa Local Government Area alone had recorded 25 cases of rabies in 2025, resulting in 12 confirmed deaths, including a family of three who recently died after dog bites.
She described the fatalities as “deeply tragic,” stressing the urgent need for intensified vaccination and public enlightenment to curb the spread of the disease. Prof. Lombin commended the Ministry for its timely intervention and assured that the vaccines would be judiciously administered to strengthen the state’s rabies prevention drive.
Among dignitaries at the event were the Special Adviser to the Governor on Livestock Matters, Dr. Markus Avory; the Executive Assistant to the Governor, Efficiency Unit, Hon. Gideon Agaldo; the Executive Director of the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Dr. Nicholas Nwankpa; the Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association (Plateau State), Dr. Kumtap Yilji Cashmir; and the Chairman, Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) Plateau State, Dr. Pam Luka. Traditional rulers and community leaders also pledged their support for the campaign.
The delegation later inspected one of the six cold room facilities donated by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) for vaccine storage in Plateau State.
Rabies remains a major public health threat in Nigeria, with an estimated 55,000 deaths recorded annually worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In Nigeria, dog-mediated rabies accounts for more than 95 per cent of human cases, largely due to inadequate vaccination of domestic animals, poor awareness, and limited access to post-exposure treatment.
Studies by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) show that rabies is endemic in all 36 states, with higher prevalence in rural areas where dog vaccination coverage is low. The One Health approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health, is central to Nigeria’s rabies control strategy.
