The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicine, GALVmed, has inaugurated a National Technical Working Group on Newcastle Disease to develop a comprehensive national strategy for its prevention and control.
The initiative, inaugurated in Abuja on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, is aimed at strengthening poultry health, improving food security and protecting the livelihoods of poultry farmers across Nigeria.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, represented by the Director of the Project Coordination Unit, Dr Adedoyin Adeniyi, described the inauguration as the first coordinated national effort to tackle Newcastle Disease through a structured and evidence-based approach.
She said Newcastle Disease remains one of the most devastating viral diseases affecting poultry in Nigeria, causing significant economic losses, reducing farmers’ incomes, threatening food security and undermining the growth of the poultry industry.
Dr Akujobi explained that the newly inaugurated Technical Working Group would develop a National Newcastle Disease Strategic Plan to provide a clear roadmap for disease prevention, surveillance, vaccination, biosecurity, rapid response and eventual control across the country.
She noted that previous disease control efforts had suffered from poor coordination due to the absence of a national strategic framework, leading to duplication of interventions and inefficient use of resources.
The Permanent Secretary stressed that Newcastle Disease is a transboundary animal disease and is not zoonotic, calling for stronger cross-border collaboration, improved surveillance systems, enhanced veterinary services and better coordination among the Federal and State Governments, development partners and the private sector.
She also highlighted Nigeria’s strategic advantage in producing Newcastle Disease vaccines locally through the National Veterinary Research Institute, NVRI.
According to her, the strategic plan would prioritise the training of last-mile vaccine delivery personnel, capacity building for poultry farmers on disease detection and reporting, as well as the promotion of effective biosecurity practices.
Dr Akujobi reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening animal disease control through improved funding, enhanced veterinary service delivery and sustained collaboration with partners, including ECOWAS, AU-IBAR, NEPAD, FAO and other international organisations.
While inaugurating the Technical Working Group, she charged members to develop a practical, evidence-based and implementable national strategy capable of significantly reducing the burden of Newcastle Disease in Nigeria.
Earlier, the Director and Head of Department, Animal Health and Reproductive Services, Dr Mitchell Alao, described the workshop as a landmark event in Nigeria’s animal health sector.
Dr Alao said the strategic plan would provide a framework for government, development partners, research institutions, the private sector and other stakeholders to harmonise interventions, effectively utilise resources and measure progress against clear targets.
Also speaking during a presentation titled, “The Control of Newcastle Disease in Village Chickens in Nigeria: Current Status, Challenges and the Way Forward,” the Chief Veterinary Officer and National Programme Coordinator for African Swine Fever, Dr Yakubu Yanet Ago, highlighted the importance of village poultry to food security, household nutrition and poverty reduction, particularly among rural women and vulnerable households.
Dr Ago disclosed that Nigeria has an estimated poultry population of 640 million, noting that village chickens remain an important source of income and affordable animal protein for millions of Nigerians.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the Associate Director, Outreach and Partnership, GALVmed, Edith Moroti; the National Vice President, South-West Zone, Nigerian Association of Animal Health and Husbandry Technologists, NAAHHT, Prince Oyewumi Oyetunde; representative of the National Veterinary Research Institute, NVRI, Dr Olayinka Asla and the President of the Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association, NVMA, Dr Moses Arokoyo.
They pledged their continued support towards strengthening efforts to control Newcastle Disease in Nigeria.
Participants at the workshop were drawn from government institutions, private-sector organisations, research institutes, development partners, Ikore International Limited, ABUVETS and other relevant stakeholders.
