The federal government has called on African countries to move away from reactive, event-driven responses and adopt predictive, risk-based, and analytics-driven surveillance systems to meet the global target of eradicating Peste des Petits Ruminants, PPR, by 2030. PPR is a viral disease caused by a morbillivirus, closely related to the rinderpest virus, and it affects goats, sheep, wild relatives of small ruminants, and camels.
Chinyere Akujobi, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, made this statement in Abuja on Wednesday during the Regional Training on Strengthening Animal Disease Surveillance, Building Capacities for PPR Eradication, and Transboundary Animal Diseases. The training was held under the Framework for the Implementation of the Pan-African PPR Eradication and other Sheep and Goat Disease Control Programmes in West African Member Countries. It was organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations in collaboration with the African Union-Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources, with financial support from the European Union.
Ms Akujobi urged countries to build surveillance systems that were smarter, faster, and more collaborative. She also encouraged stronger coordination, the adoption of modern tools, and actions guided by accurate information.
“We must build stronger technical skills in participatory and risk-based surveillance and harmonise epidemiological procedures so that data generated across countries can be compared and acted upon,” she said.
She explained that African countries must adopt modern tools to define epi-systems, map high-risk zones, integrate results into continental and global platforms, and strengthen regional coordination structures, including the Regional Veterinary Committee.
According to her, these priorities address the core challenges faced across the region, such as uneven reporting, weak linkages between laboratories and field surveillance, fragmented information systems, and gaps in cross-border coordination.
Ms Akujobi urged participants at the training to adopt an evidence-driven mindset that reflects the complex nature of today’s transboundary animal disease landscape. She emphasised that surveillance systems must depend on real-time information and include digital tools that detect risks early and support quick intervention. She added that cooperation among countries was essential because diseases like PPR do not recognise administrative boundaries.
“It is essential that our systems speak to one another and that information flows seamlessly from community animal health workers to national databases and onwards to regional and global systems. This gathering is more than a routine training session; it represents a strategic turning point for West Africa,” she said.
She noted that many African countries continue to struggle with PPR, foot-and-mouth disease, African swine fever, anthrax, and highly pathogenic avian influenza, along with other transboundary and zoonotic diseases that threaten food security.
“The small ruminant sector, in particular, supports millions of families, including women and youth whose livelihoods depend on healthy animals. Every outbreak that sweeps through our communities deepens vulnerability and disrupts social and economic stability,” she said.
Ms Akujobi assured that Nigeria remained committed to regional cooperation and to the Pan-African PPR Eradication Programme. She explained that the country was working to strengthen the National Animal Disease Information System to improve reporting nationwide and enhance collaboration between laboratories and field teams under the One Health approach.
She added that Nigeria collaborates closely with ECOWAS, the AU-IBAR, the FAO, and the World Organisation for Animal Health to ensure national actions align with continental strategies. The training brought together veterinarians, laboratory scientists, epidemiologists, wildlife experts, border authorities, and pastoralist communities across West Africa, with the goal of strengthening national and regional systems to better equip them for PPR eradication.
