Nigeria’s ability to prevent and contain livestock disease outbreaks is being dangerously undermined by weak disease reporting, fragmented laboratory systems and poor veterinary infrastructure, with experts warning that the country is operating without the surveillance intelligence needed to protect its livestock industry.
At the Public-Private Veterinary Laboratory Forum on Strengthening Poultry Disease Surveillance in Nigeria, organised by the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, leading veterinary professionals called for an integrated national laboratory network linking federal, state and private veterinary facilities to strengthen disease surveillance, safeguard food security and protect billions of naira invested in livestock production.
The experts—including Director of Infectious and Transboundary Animal Diseases at the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Dr. Clement Meseko; GALVmed Country Manager, Dr. Moses Arokoye; President of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN), Prof. Matthew Adamu; Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Dr. Samuel Anzaku; and Director-General of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Dr. Onallo Akpa—warned that unless Nigeria urgently harmonises disease reporting nationwide, outbreaks will continue to spread undetected.
Meseko said although NVRI serves as Nigeria’s National Reference Laboratory for animal diseases, its effectiveness depends on disease information generated from farms, veterinary clinics and communities across the country.
“Our mandate covers research, surveillance, diagnosis and vaccine production for the control of infectious animal diseases in Nigeria,” he said.
He noted that private veterinary laboratories are often the first to receive disease samples from livestock farmers and therefore constitute the frontline of disease detection.
“We are at the apex as the National Reference Laboratory, but we can be very far from the grassroots where surveillance data is generated. Until government laboratories and private laboratories work together, surveillance cannot be effectively strengthened.”
According to him, a functional national laboratory network would ensure disease samples move seamlessly from private laboratories through state and zonal facilities before reaching NVRI for confirmation, thereby providing government with accurate data for planning and rapid outbreak response.
Meseko urged government to strengthen private veterinary laboratories through capacity building, incentives and institutional collaboration to expand surveillance coverage across the country.
GALVmed Country Manager, Dr. Moses Arokoye, described poor disease reporting as Nigeria’s greatest weakness in livestock disease control.
“The gap here is reporting. The reporting system is poor—very, very poor,” he declared.
He warned that countless disease outbreaks remain invisible because they are never captured in official records.
“If an event is not recorded, it means it didn’t happen. There could be outbreaks and incidences, but if they are not documented, they simply do not exist in the national records.”
Arokoye said the forum was convened to eliminate the long-standing disconnect between public institutions and private veterinary laboratories by establishing a harmonised disease reporting framework.
He explained that disease outbreaks usually show identifiable patterns before escalating into major emergencies, stressing that integrated reporting would allow authorities to detect threats early and intervene before they spread widely.
He disclosed that directors of veterinary teaching hospitals from Nigeria’s 11 veterinary faculties, officials of NVRI and major private laboratories are working towards integrating reports into the National Animal Disease Information System (NADIS).
“What government wants is robust national data. We cannot continue to work in silos. We must harmonise disease reporting between the public and private sectors,” he said.
President of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria, Prof. Matthew Adamu, said strengthening laboratories at the state and local government levels is critical because livestock production occurs largely outside federal institutions.
While acknowledging NVRI’s status as an internationally recognised reference laboratory, he warned that poor laboratory infrastructure at the sub-national level remains a major obstacle to effective surveillance.
“We have a serious challenge at the sub-national level. We need to build and strengthen laboratories in the states and, where possible, at the local government level because livestock production actually takes place at those levels.”
Adamu called for urgent investment in veterinary teaching hospitals, laboratory equipment and continuous training of veterinary personnel to meet international standards.
Also speaking, the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Dr. Samuel Anzaku, called for a fundamental shift in the country’s attitude towards animal disease reporting, lamenting that fragmentation and under-reporting have persisted despite clear legal provisions.
Represented by Dr. Adeniyi Adedoyin, Anzaku recalled that the issue had been raised several years ago, yet many veterinary institutions still operate independently instead of contributing to a unified national surveillance system.
He cited the Animal Disease Control Act, which mandates reporting of animal diseases through the National Animal Disease Information System (NADIS), coordinated by the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria.
Under the law, State Directors of Veterinary Services are expected to collect disease reports from veterinary teaching hospitals and private practitioners for integration into the national database.
Anzaku lamented that Nigeria has suffered chronic under-reporting for more than a decade, with some veterinary professionals unwilling to submit reports and some teaching hospitals reluctant to share disease information with state authorities despite the legal requirement.
He clarified that government is not demanding raw laboratory records but harmonised data that can support national disease surveillance, planning and early warning systems.
According to him, unless veterinary stakeholders embrace a culture of collaboration and data sharing, Nigeria will continue to struggle to contain livestock diseases.
He observed that while the human health and pharmaceutical sectors have successfully integrated their surveillance systems, the veterinary sector remains significantly behind.
The Director-General of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, Dr. Onallo Akpa, called for increased investment in veterinary research and laboratory capacity to combat Newcastle Disease and other endemic poultry diseases that continue to inflict heavy losses on farmers.
He urged stakeholders to move beyond conferences and translate discussions into practical research, innovation and stronger diagnostic capacity.
Akpa described poultry as Nigeria’s most organised livestock sub-sector and a major contributor to employment, food security and economic growth, warning that recurring disease outbreaks continue to undermine the industry’s productivity.
He challenged participants to identify critical gaps in disease surveillance, strengthen laboratory collaboration and develop sustainable strategies to reduce the prevalence and economic impact of poultry diseases across the country.
The consensus at the forum was unmistakable: without reliable disease reporting, integrated laboratory networks and stronger veterinary capacity at the state level, Nigeria will remain reactive rather than proactive in tackling livestock diseases, exposing farmers, consumers and the wider economy to avoidable risks.