By Bode Akinbode
The Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA) has launched a comprehensive vaccination campaign across the state, targeting livestock diseases and aiming to boost farmers’ productivity and overall food security.
The exercise, which commenced on Monday carried out under the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) supported by the World Bank, was flagged off in Eruwa in the Ibarapa area of Oyo State.
Speaking at a sensitisation programme to launch the campaign, the Executive Adviser to the state Governor on Agribusiness and Director-General of OYSADA, Dr.Debo Akande, said the vaccination exercise was necessary to protect livestock and safeguard public health.
Akande explained that animals not vaccinated against diseases could become unhealthy and pose health risks to people who consume them.
“If animals are not vaccinated against certain diseases, they become weak and unhealthy and may begin to carry diseases they should not be carrying. At the end of the day, these animals are consumed by humans, and if we eat infected animals, it can affect our health,” he said.
According to him, the vaccination programme forms part of a broader national effort to control livestock diseases and improve farmers’ productivity.
He said the exercise would be carried out across most local government areas of the state, beginning with communities in the Ibarapa axis.
Akande noted that the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde had prioritised livestock development as part of efforts to transform the agricultural sector in the state.
“For the first time in the history of Oyo State, livestock development is receiving serious attention within the agricultural sector. That is why we are treating this programme with the importance it deserves,” he said.
He urged livestock farmers to take advantage of government initiatives designed to support the sector, particularly the L-PRES project.
Akande disclosed that the government was targeting between 200,000 and 300,000 livestock farmers across the state through the intervention.
He also revealed plans to establish another one-day-old chick market in the state, noting that the existing facility already serves poultry farmers across the West African sub-region.
“The one-day-old chick market in Oyo State currently serves not just Nigeria but countries such as Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso,” he added.
Akande further said the state government was constructing veterinary clinics in several local government areas to strengthen animal healthcare services.
He also disclosed that a Livestock Service Center is being established in Fashola as a centre of excellence for livestock development.
A
“Approval has also been secured for the establishment of another livestock service centre for piggery in Ogbomoso, where a large number of pig farmers operate.
In his address delivered on behalf of the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, the Director of Veterinary Services, Semiu Akebu, said the vaccination campaign was aimed at combating transboundary animal diseases threatening livestock production.
He identified diseases such as Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), Foot and Mouth Disease and Anthrax as major threats to the livestock sector.
“These diseases not only cause high mortality in animals but also lead to significant economic losses for livestock farmers, traders, processors and the entire value chain,” Akebu said.
He explained that the vaccination exercise would target diseases such as CBPP and Foot and Mouth Disease in cattle, as well as Newcastle disease in poultry.
Akebu disclosed that the state government recently recruited 25 veterinary officers and 20 animal health technologists to strengthen animal healthcare services across the state.
He added that previous vaccination campaigns recorded notable success, with 95,948 cattle vaccinated against CBPP and 74,525 sheep and goats vaccinated against PPR under the SAFER economic relief programme.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development in the Oyo State House of Assembly, Peter Ojedokun, urged farmers to embrace the vaccination exercise and adopt improved livestock practices.
He emphasised that agriculture remains a key pillar of economic development and should not be limited to crop production alone.
“Agriculture is not limited to arable farming. It also includes livestock farming, poultry production and the rearing of animals such as cattle, sheep and goats,” he said.
The vaccination campaign is expected to reach thousands of livestock farmers across Oyo State as part of efforts to improve livestock health and boost agricultural productivity.
