The Bauchi state government has stated that the annual mass vaccination campaign for livestock scheduled to take place in 2023 in all 20 local government areas of the state will get N44 million.
The Punch reported that Governor Bala Mohammed said this in his statement during the exercise’s commencement on Monday in Kangere, Bauchi LGA.
He claimed that since its implementation, his government has continued to support the annual livestock vaccination campaign due to its significance in avoiding the spread of animal diseases and ensuring the state’s profitable and disease-free animal output.
“Yearly vaccinations offer protection from serious transboundary animal diseases for a whole year. This makes the yearly practice of immunizing our animals necessary.
“I gave my approval for the transfer of N44 million to the Ministry of Agriculture for the purpose of conducting the vaccination program throughout the state in 2023.
“As an enhancement to the exercise, we have added the New Cow Disease (CD-12) vaccine with the Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia and Pestes de Pestes Ruminanciumk vaccines to stop the annual losses brought on by New Castle Disease, local hens owned by our rural residents must receive the recently developed NCD-12 vaccination.”
He stated that three groups of animals across the state’s 20 local government areas would receive one million doses (10,000 vials) of CBPP vaccine for cattle, 500,000 doses (500 vials) of PPR vaccine for sheep and goats, and 400,000 doses (2,000 vials) of NCD-12 vaccine for poultry.
Mohammed urged the benefiting stakeholders to work with the staff by bringing out their animals to be vaccinated in large numbers. He also urged the Ministry of Agriculture staff involved in the vaccination exercise to remain committed and make sure that every nook and cranny of the state are adequately covered.
He claimed that the state’s veterinary services needed to be strengthened and improved due to the livestock subsector’s importance in the provision of protein and economic empowerment.
To improve the effective and efficient delivery of veterinary services and to create a referral veterinary facility that would serve the people and bring in money for the state, he promised to construct a suitable modern veterinary specialty clinic at Ran Road in the Bauchi city.
“The contract has been awarded, the construction site has been formally turned over to the contractor, and mobilization money will be made available to the contracting firm to ensure that work on the project may begin right away,” the governor continued.
“The employment of 40 veterinary medical students from Bauchi State has also been approved since last year. These students have already been hired and have begun receiving their monthly salary.
“Due to the vital role the program plays in the provision of healthy animal products, jobs and wealth development, as well as food security and safety, we opted to maintain the Veterinary Medical Students Employment Plan we inherited from the previous administrations despite a lack of funding.”
