The federal government, through the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, has launched a coordinated intervention to control tsetse fly and other parasites affecting cattle in Taraba State and Sokoto State, as part of ongoing efforts to improve livestock health and increase productivity nationwide.
The exercise, which commenced on Monday, 22 December 2025, involves the spraying of approved insecticides on cattle farms and selected strategic locations to reduce disease vectors and limit the spread of livestock infections that affect animal welfare and farmer incomes.
Leading the intervention in Jalingo, the State Coordinator and Federal Epidemiology Officer, Dr. Emmanuel Yarai, said the first phase of the programme covers Jalingo, Ardo-Kola, Lau, and Wukari Local Government Areas. He explained that the programme would later be extended to the remaining 12 LGAs to ensure full coverage across Taraba State.
Dr. Yarai noted that tsetse fly transmits trypanosomiasis, describing it as “a highly endemic disease in Africa that causes significant economic losses to livestock farmers.” He explained that the disease attacks the blood and lymphatic systems of infected animals, leading to fever, weight loss, anaemia, paralysis, and in severe cases, death.
He added that although most cattle breeds are susceptible to the disease, West African N’dama cattle possess a natural tolerance to trypanosomiasis. According to him, the intervention also includes the deployment of biconical traps in strategic locations to sustain control efforts and further reduce infection rates beyond the initial spraying exercise.
In Sokoto State, the Ministry’s Coordinator, Dr. Umar Tukur Argungu, said farmers assisted the team by identifying grazing areas with high tsetse fly prevalence. He noted that traps would be installed in affected locations to confirm and address the level of infestation.
Dr. Argungu disclosed that the team visited major livestock markets, including Kasuwan Kara in Sokoto North and Bodinga Local Government Areas, where engagements were held with farmers and traders. He added that concerns raised during the visits would be documented and forwarded for consideration in future government interventions.
The Director of Veterinary Services at the Sokoto State Ministry of Animal Health and Fisheries, Alhaji Abubakar Maidabo, urged farmers to promptly report disease outbreaks, warning that “some livestock diseases are zoonotic and pose risks to human health.”
Chairman of the Cattle Traders Association in Sokoto State, Alhaji Bashir Bello, said traders recorded severe losses during the last rainy season due to skin rashes linked to tsetse fly infestation. He noted that the problem cuts across all 23 local government areas, especially around hurumi and fadama zones between Sokoto South and Wamakko. Bello also identified foot-and-mouth disease and peste des petits ruminants (PPR) as other major challenges, pledging timely reporting of future outbreaks to enable swift ministry response.
