FG Moves to Curb Tsetse Fly in Taraba, Sokoto
By Onwe Wisdom| Pan Afric Reporters
The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has commenced a coordinated intervention to control tsetse fly and other ectoparasites affecting cattle in Taraba and Sokoto States, as part of ongoing efforts to improve livestock health, productivity, and sectoral transformation nationwide.
The exercise, which began on Monday, 22 December 2025, involves the spraying of insecticides on cattle farms and strategic locations to reduce disease vectors and limit the spread of livestock infections.
Leading the intervention in Jalingo, Taraba State, the State Coordinator and Federal Epidemiology Officer, Dr. Emmanuel Yarai, according to a media report e-signed by the ministry’s Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Information), Ogochukwu Igboamalu explained that the first phase of the programme covers Jalingo, Ardo-Kola, Lau, and Wukari Local Government Areas, with plans to extend the exercise to the remaining 12 LGAs for comprehensive state-wide coverage.
Dr. Yarai noted that tsetse fly transmits trypanosomiasis, 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, resulting in fever, weight loss, anaemia, paralysis, and in severe cases, death.
The State Coordinator added that while most cattle breeds are susceptible, West African N’dama cattle possess a natural tolerance to the disease. 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 in identifying grazing areas with high tsetse fly prevalence, noting that traps would be installed in affected locations to confirm and address the infestation.
He added 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.
Dr. Argungu further disclosed that concerns raised by traders during the visits would be documented and forwarded for consideration in future government interventions.
The Director of Veterinary Services, 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, Sokoto State, Alhaji Bashir Bello, disclosed that 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, particularly around hurumi and fadama zones between Sokoto South and Wamakko.
Bello also identified other major livestock diseases affecting farmers, including foot-and-mouth disease and peste des petits ruminants (PPR), and pledged that the association would ensure timely reporting of future outbreaks to enable swift intervention by the Ministry.
