Ekiti State Government has begun mass vaccination of livestock across the state to protect animals from zoonotic diseases including Anthrax.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Ebenezer Boluwade, on Tuesday, said the vaccination was being held under the auspices of the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project, a project of the World Bank in conjunction with the state government.
Boluwade, who spoke at Gaa Alhaji Bayo along Igede – Aramoko Road, Aramoko Ekiti during the official flag-off of the Anthrax Spore Vaccination in Ekiti State, described the exercise as “a proactive measure to prevent the spread of Anthrax disease, which can have devastating consequences on our livestock population and the economy”.
He stressed the state government’s commitment to protecting livestock and ensuring that citizens had access to safe and healthy food.
He added that the state government through L-PRES had made available 100,000 doses of Anthrax vaccines to be administered free of charge to animals across the 16 local government areas of the state.
He said, “This initiative is a critical step towards preventing the outbreak of anthrax disease in our dear state and ensuring the well-being of our livestock. The Governor Biodun Oyebanji administration is committed to actualising its vision of making Ekiti State a hub for agricultural excellence.
“We are working tirelessly to create an enabling environment for agribusiness to thrive. This vaccination exercise is a testament to our dedication to the health and productivity of our livestock.
“The administration is deeply committed to using agriculture as a catalyst for industrialisation, food security, and economic prosperity. We have implemented various initiatives to transform agriculture from its current mainly subsistence to large-scale commercial enterprise.”
L-PRESS State Project Coordinator, Olayinka Adedipe, said the initiative is to make sure that we try as much as possible to prevent diseases most especially the zoonotic diseases that are very deadly to affect our animals in the state.
Adedipe urged cattle, goat and sheep owners in the various communities to present their animals for the ongoing Anthrax vaccination.
He said, “Anthrax is a deadly zoonotic disease that affects both animal and human beings.”
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Ebenezer Ojo, said the vaccination exercise aimed at preventing the outbreak of Anthrax disease in Ekiti State “Is proof to our commitment to ensuring the well-being of our livestock, promoting food security, and safeguarding public health”.
He said, “The vaccination exercise will target cattle, goats and sheep, and will be conducted in various locations across the state. We have put in place measures to ensure that the exercise is carried out efficiently and effectively.”
He called on livestock owners and stakeholders to cooperate with the team of veterinarians and animal health professionals, who would be conducting the free vaccination.
