Nigerian Government Targets Total Eradication of Cattle Pneumonia with Nationwide Mass Vaccination Campaign

Minister Idi Maiha inaugurates technical group to eradicate CBPP in Nigeria. Protecting 50 million cattle is key to food security and economic growth.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 10, 2026, 10:08 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Peoples Gazette

A Strategic Offensive Against Livestock Disease

The Federal Government has formally launched an intensified nationwide vaccination drive aimed at the total eradication of Contagious Bovine Pleuro-Pneumonia, a devastating bacterial disease affecting the national herd. During the inauguration of a specialized technical working group in Abuja on Friday, Minister of Livestock Development Idi Maiha emphasized the critical need for a coordinated response. The disease, which causes severe and often fatal pneumonia in cattle, remains one of the most significant barriers to Nigeria’s goal of building a globally competitive and resilient livestock sector.

Protecting Africa’s Massive Cattle Population

With an estimated population exceeding 50 million cattle, Nigeria currently maintains one of the largest livestock concentrations on the African continent. Minister Maiha noted that this status carries a heavy responsibility to manage animal health risks that threaten the livelihoods of millions. The current epidemiological data from 2025 has heightened the urgency of the situation, as official records indicate at least 131 documented outbreaks. These incidents have not been confined to a single region but have spread across every geopolitical zone in the country, underscoring the systemic nature of the threat.

Institutional Framework for Disease Control

The newly formed technical working group is designed to serve as a high level platform for strategic direction, essentially acting as the country’s World Council on CBPP. According to the Minister, this body is tasked with developing a coherent national control framework and modernizing the surveillance architecture to better track disease movement. Additionally, the group will focus on improving the effectiveness of vaccination programs and upgrading emergency response systems to ensure that any new outbreaks can be rapidly contained before they destabilize regional markets.