The Federal Government has restated its commitment to building a modern, integrated and responsive poultry disease surveillance system aimed at protecting farmers, strengthening food security and safeguarding the national economy.
The Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Dr Anzaku Samuel, made this known in Abuja during a one-day capacity-building programme for 100 selected poultry farmers from across the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), focused on strengthening private-sector poultry laboratories in Nigeria.
Dr Anzaku said the government has intensified sensitisation efforts after identifying disease outbreaks as the most serious threat to the poultry industry. He noted that unchecked diseases undermine productivity, reduce feed efficiency, affect egg production, erode consumer confidence and disrupt trade.
According to him, effective disease surveillance has become indispensable, 
particularly as the poultry sector continues to play a critical role in national nutrition and livelihoods.
He stressed the need for stronger collaboration between government agencies and private laboratories to reduce diagnostic turnaround time, enabling farmers to take timely and informed management decisions.
“Surveillance must move from a reactive approach to a proactive one. For that to happen, we must strengthen communication between veterinarians, laboratory diagnosticians and poultry producers,” he said.
Dr Anzaku urged participants to adopt standardised reporting systems to improve data flow and early warning mechanisms, noting that accurate and timely information is key to preventing large-scale outbreaks.
He commended the Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicine (GALVmed) for organising the training, describing it as a strategic intervention that will help reinforce Nigeria’s animal health architecture.
Speaking at the event, GALVmed Country Manager, Dr Moses Arokoyo, said the training was designed to promote a diagnostic-driven and preventive approach to poultry health management, which he described as essential for improving profitability and sustainability in the sector.
Dr Arokoyo emphasised that effective disease control depends on strong partnerships, adding that poultry farmers hold valuable data needed by government to properly assess and plan for the sector’s development.
He, however, called on the Federal Government to simplify import regulations and scale up support for farmers in rural communities to boost overall productivity.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Mr Onalo Akpa, identified high production costs as a major constraint facing poultry farmers nationwide.
He urged the government to engage professionals across the livestock and crop value chains to address imbalances in the supply of raw materials, warning that heavy dependence on imported inputs continues to push up production costs with broader economic implications.
The training provided a platform for farmers and stakeholders in the livestock sector to share experiences, examine persistent challenges and explore practical solutions to enhance poultry production and disease management in Nigeria.
FG Steps Up Poultry Disease Surveillance to Protect Farmers, Food Security
