The Federal Government and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) have agreed on a $350,000 emergency support package to help Nigeria tackle the ongoing outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu, which has affected poultry farms in several states across the country.
The intervention is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s ability to detect, control and contain the spread of the disease while protecting poultry farmers whose livelihoods depend on the sector.
The agreement was reached during a strategic meeting in Abuja between the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, and the FAO Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Hussein Gadain. Senior officials from the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and FAO also attended the meeting.
The $350,000 support package was approved under FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme and is designed as an emergency response to help Nigeria address the growing threat of bird flu outbreaks affecting poultry production.
According to FAO, the programme will focus on strengthening disease surveillance systems, improving coordination among veterinary authorities and enhancing rapid response mechanisms to prevent further spread of the virus.
The intervention will also support monitoring activities in affected areas and improve early detection systems that allow authorities to respond quickly to outbreaks.
Maiha said controlling livestock diseases such as bird flu is essential to protecting Nigeria’s livestock assets and improving productivity across the sector.
“We must continue to strengthen our animal health systems and build the capacity required to respond effectively to disease outbreaks,” the minister said.
“Our collaboration with FAO will help protect livestock assets, improve productivity, and support the broader transformation of the sector.”
The minister noted that bird flu outbreaks can have serious economic consequences for poultry farmers, particularly small-scale producers who depend on poultry farming for income and household food security.
By strengthening disease monitoring and response systems, the government hopes to reduce the risk of large-scale outbreaks that could disrupt poultry supply chains and threaten food production.
Gadain commended the Federal Government’s commitment to improving the livestock sector and said FAO would continue to provide technical assistance to strengthen Nigeria’s animal health systems.
He emphasised that strengthening veterinary services at the state and community levels remains a key part of controlling livestock diseases.
“Improving early detection systems and promoting biosecurity practices among livestock farmers will be critical in preventing further outbreaks,” Gadain said.
Officials at the meeting also discussed broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s disease preparedness framework, including cooperation with national institutions responsible for public health and veterinary research.
The discussions also reviewed Nigeria’s progress in the global campaign to eradicate Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), a highly contagious viral disease affecting sheep and goats that has caused major livestock losses in several countries.
As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen livestock disease control, the Ministry of Livestock Development plans to convene a national technical meeting involving veterinary institutions, researchers and industry experts to review Nigeria’s eradication strategy and address gaps in vaccine supply.
The ministry also plans to engage the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) to assess its vaccine production capacity while exploring additional procurement options to meet national demand.
Nigeria is also seeking to accelerate access to financing under the Pandemic Fund through a One Health approach involving the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Federal Ministry of Health to strengthen preparedness and response to zoonotic diseases.
