Kebbi State Governor, Dr. Nasir Idris, has flagged off this year’s animal vaccination excercise against major diseases affecting livestock.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser (SA) on Media, Yahaya Sarki on Saturday, the animals were vaccinated against diseases like; Contagious Bovine Pleuro Pneumonia, CBPP, Pest des Petit Ruminant, PPR, (Diarrhea of small ruminants), and Newcastle Disease, NCD.
The statement added that, the flag off ceremony of the annual animals vaccination took place at Hutawa Fulani settlement near Birnin Kebbi on Saturday.
About 10 million cattle, sheep and goats are targetted for vaccination against animal diseases this year.
The statement added that, Idris was represented by the Secretary sto the State Government (SSG) Alhaji Yakubu Bala and the SSG was represented by Dr.Ahmad Umar Ambursa, the Permanent Secretary, Kebbi State Ministry of Animal Health Husbandary and Fisheries.
In his address, Dr Ambursa said, the exercise was being carried out in collaboration with the Federal Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services and Kebbi State Government.
He added that, the Federal Government has already provided vaccines to all States of the federation, but due to the high number of livestock in Kebbi State, its own share of the vaccines would only cover twenty-five percent of animals.
According to the Permanent Secretary, Kebbi State has been blessed with about 10 million livestock consisting of cattle, goats and sheep.
“The state has been blessed with three million heads of cattle, three million, three hundred and fifty seven thousand heads of goat and three million, one hundred and fifteen thousand heads of sheep”.
Dr. Ambursa explained that the government hoped to achieve 78 percent vaccination coverage of livestock this year in the state.
He noted that the State ministry of Animal health has also developed appropriate strategies to vaccinate animals of nomads without permanent settlement.
The permanent secretary therefore appealed to Fulani community in the state to embrace the programme and cooperate with veterinary health workers to ensure that their animals remained healthy.
He warned that, human health was interwoven with animal health as such, the healthy condition of meat for consumption is highly desirable.
In a remark, the Ardo of Hutawa, Dikko Anguwar Gagga, Aliyu Hakimin Gubuji, who is the Community leader of the Fulani settlement, thanked the state governor, for placing a priority on livestock development and improving animal health in the State.
He pledged the loyalty and support of the Fulani community to the success of the vaccination campaign against the major diseases affecting their animals.