The Federal Government of Nigeria has commissioned her first border animal holding facility in Cross River state. The facility, sited in Mfun border of Cross River state, is meant to enhance the capacity of the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS) to be able to inspect, quarantine, document and certify livestock entering into Nigeria so as to prevent the introduction and spread of transboundary animal diseases.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Dr Idi Muhktar said the facility is the first of the intended 12 meant to be established across Nigeria. He listed the states intended to serve as places considered for the building of the facility. They are Adamawa, Borno, Jigawa, Yobe, Kano, Sokoto, Niger and Kebbi states. He emphasized that beyond the quarantine activities, the facility will aid animal traceability, enhance critical data generation relevant for disease surveillance as well as rapid response to disease outbreaks.
The facility being funded under the World Bank assisted Livestock Productivity and Resilience Project (LPRES) is designed to improve Nigeria’s animal health sector and enhance livestock security. The National Coordinator of the LPRES project; Dr. Sanusi Abubakar noted that the facility is well equipped with animal holding pens, solar powered water supply, spraying race, cattle dip, cattle crush, offices, accommodation and training facility. He established that facility was conceived under the project’s Innovation and Institutional Systems Strengthening component to support the statutory mandate of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) in preventing the entry of diseased animals into Nigeria.
With the introduction of border animal holding facility, players in the livestock sector and the general public now have assurance that livestock animals would have verifiable monitoring and professional evaluation as they move into the country and from one part to another. The implications of these include reduced disease spread which impacts on livestock productivity and businesses, enhanced animal tracking which helps to trace every animal moving into the country and more importantly prevention of hazardous livestock diseases that could lead to fatal outbreaks and even zoonosis.
Livestock traders would begin to have more confidence in the venture and the fear of losing animals to due to uncertainty around their health status will drastically reduce. More importantly, livestock and food security will be boosted as there will be protection of livestock animals due to early detection of diseased ones at the point of entry into the country.
