Through the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, the Nigerian Government has launched a coordinated “science-driven” offensive across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kogi and Ogun States against the tenacious tsetse-borne diseases.
The Ministry said, the action will help ensure the protection of national livestock and public health.
A statement by the Ministry on Saturday 25 April, 2026 reads: “This multi-state intervention, executed simultaneously from Monday 20th – Friday 24th April, 2026 across key grazing reserves, rural livestock settlements, and high-risk corridors, signals a decisive move in the nation’s commitment to protecting livestock productivity, securing rural livelihoods, and strengthening public health outcomes under a unified national framework.”
The Federal teams have deployed across the three (3) states a strategy that is “integrated” and combines “surveillance, community engagement, and targeted vector control”, the Ministry said.
The statement also reads: “The field operations include strategic placement of biconical traps to determine tsetse fly prevalence, fumigation of high-risk zones, insecticide application on livestock and breeding grounds, and widespread sensitisation of pastoral communities.”
Works at the Paikon kore Grazing Reserve in the FCT, which houses more than “15,000” cattle, have focused “on structured epidemiological assessment, with traps positioned at calibrated intervals of 500 meters to generate actionable data for precision response”.
Dr. Ozoemena Uche, Deputy Director and FCT Coordinator, Federal Epidemiology Unit, said, “Tsetse flies transmit trypanosomiasis, which affects both animals and humans. Our goal is to reduce its impact on livestock productivity and prevent associated public health risks”.
Mohammed Abubakar Bala, Manager of the Paikon Kore Grazing Reserve, said, “We are also dealing with diseases like foot-and-mouth and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia. We need sustained veterinary support and access to vaccines to protect our livestock”.
The Ministry made known, operations have been conducted in Ogun State across top livestock settlements, encompassing, Owowo RUGA Community (Ewekoro LGA), Alamutu RUGA Community (Abeokuta North LGA), and Alabata RUGA Settlement (Odeda LGA).
