FG Moves to Strengthen Livestock Vaccine Regulation, Supply
By Onwe Wisdom, Pan Afric Reporters
The Honourable Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, has raised concern over the circulation and misuse of veterinary drugs in Nigeria, warning that the sustainability of the livestock sector depends largely on the availability, accessibility and proper use of safe and effective animal health products.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement in Abuja on Thursday 19th February, 2026, the Minister according to a media report e-signed by the ministry’s Head, Press and Public Relations,
Oghenekevwe Uchechukwu noted that the veterinary drug space continues to face serious challenges, including substandard and falsified products, weak regulatory compliance, uncoordinated importation and inadequate oversight of manufacturing and distribution channels.
He explained that many livestock farmers unknowingly purchase poor-quality drugs, leading to treatment failure, economic losses and avoidable livestock mortality. The Minister also warned that misuse of antimicrobials, through wrong dosages, poor storage and unsupervised administration, is accelerating antimicrobial resistance.
“Resistant pathogens do not respect the boundary between animals and humans. This is not only an animal health issue but a public health and environmental concern that must be addressed collectively and urgently,” he said.
Maiha stressed that ensuring the safety and quality of veterinary drugs is a national security priority, noting that the success of disease control programmes for priority livestock diseases such as Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), rabies and avian influenza depends on the reliability of veterinary products available in the country.
He called for stronger coordination across regulatory agencies, manufacturers, importers, distributors and veterinary professionals to guarantee traceability, accountability and quality assurance across the supply chain.
Earlier, the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Dr. Samuel Anzaku, highlighted the strategic role of the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom, whose locally produced vaccines have protected millions of animals, noting that while many livestock diseases are preventable through vaccination, Nigeria’s vaccine market is increasingly affected by unvalidated, poorly stored and sometimes counterfeit products entering through weak import channels and informal markets.
He warned that “a bad vaccine is worse than no vaccine,” as it leads to outbreaks in supposedly vaccinated animals, loss of farmer confidence and antimicrobial misuse. According to him, there is a need to move from a vaccine market to a vaccine system where government regulates, the private sector supplies, veterinarians administer, researchers validate and farmers trust.
Dr. Anzaku also disclosed that Nigeria has commenced research towards local production of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza vaccines through the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), adding that any future policy decision would be evidence-based and aligned with international standards.
On his part, the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of NVRI, Dr. Nicholas Nwankpa, stressed the importance of strengthening community-level vaccination delivery, particularly through Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) who reach remote and underserved areas.
He further noted that improving regulatory timelines, adopting digital registration systems and encouraging mutual recognition arrangements similar to those used in East Africa would enhance vaccine approval efficiency and availability in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Country Representative and Political Director for Propcom+, Dr. Adiya Ode, explained that the dialogue followed two studies commissioned to examine vaccine demand, supply constraints and policy bottlenecks within Nigeria’s livestock sector.
She revealed that national vaccine supply currently meets only a small proportion of demand, necessitating urgent reforms in domestic production and importation processes.
Findings from the studies indicated very high annual demand for livestock vaccines across poultry (approximately 165 million doses or 55 percent of total demand), sheep and goats (about 102 million doses representing 34 percent), cattle (about 27.5 million doses representing 5.1 percent) and pigs (approximately 6.7 million doses representing 1.9 percent).
The studies further indicated that domestic production meets only about a quarter of national vaccine requirements during peak periods, despite consistent demand for priority vaccines such as Newcastle Disease, Peste des Petits Ruminants, Lumpy Skin Disease and Foot-and-Mouth Disease, alongside emerging demand for African Swine Fever vaccines.
However, gaps in supply, distribution and routine vaccination uptake persist, leading to heavy reliance on imports, while most vaccinations are still carried out during outbreaks rather than as part of preventive programmes. Stakeholders agreed on the need for coordinated action across government, private sector and development partners to close system gaps, strengthen cold-chain accountability, improve surveillance and establish a dedicated reform monitoring mechanism.
Participants at the dialogue included Directors of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, State Directors of Veterinary Services, the President of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria, private veterinary practitioners, researchers and industry stakeholders.
