Nigeria to Improve Livestock Vaccine Regulation, Supply

News in brief:

-Nigeria's livestock ministry has raised alarm over substandard veterinary drugs and weak vaccine regulation, linking them to losses and antimicrobial resistance.

-Authorities are pushing reforms to strengthen oversight, boost local vaccine production and close supply gaps across Nigeria’s livestock sector.

The Honourable Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, has raised concerns over the circulation and misuse of veterinary drugs in Nigeria, warning that the sustainability of the livestock sector depends on the availability, accessibility and proper use of safe and effective animal health products.

Speaking at a recent stakeholders’ engagement in Abuja, Maiha noted that the veterinary drug ecosystem faces persistent 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, resulting in treatment failure, economic losses and preventable livestock mortality. The minister also warned that misuse of antimicrobials through incorrect dosages, improper 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.

Disease Control Efforts at Risk

Maiha stressed that ensuring the safety and quality of veterinary drugs is a national security priority. He noted that the effectiveness of disease control programmes for priority livestock diseases such as Peste des Petits Ruminants, Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia, rabies, and avian influenza depends heavily on the reliability of veterinary products available in the country.

He called for stronger coordination among regulatory agencies, manufacturers, importers, distributors and veterinary professionals to ensure traceability, accountability and quality assurance across the supply chain.

Earlier, the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Dr Samuel Anzaku, highlighted the role of the National Veterinary Research Institute in producing vaccines that have protected millions of animals nationwide.

He warned that Nigeria’s vaccine market is increasingly exposed to unvalidated, poorly stored and sometimes counterfeit products entering through weak import channels and informal markets.

“A bad vaccine is worse than no vaccine,” he cautioned, noting that ineffective vaccines can trigger outbreaks in supposedly vaccinated animals, erode farmer confidence and encourage antimicrobial misuse.

Anzaku advocated a shift from a vaccine market to a vaccine system in which the government regulates, the private sector supplies, veterinarians administer, researchers validate, and farmers trust the process.

He also disclosed that Nigeria has commenced research towards local production of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza vaccines through the National Veterinary Research Institute, adding that any future policy decisions would be evidence-based and aligned with international standards.

Demand-Supply Gaps Persist

The Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Veterinary Research Institute, Dr Nicholas Nwankpa, emphasised the importance of strengthening community-level vaccination delivery through Community Animal Health Workers to reach remote and underserved areas.

He 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.

Also speaking, Dr Adiya Ode, Country Representative and Political Director for Propcom+, said the dialogue followed two commissioned studies examining vaccine demand, supply constraints and policy bottlenecks within Nigeria’s livestock sector.

According to the findings, annual demand for livestock vaccines is highest in poultry at approximately 165 million doses, representing 55 per cent of total demand. Sheep and goats account for about 102 million doses or 34 per cent, cattle 27.5 million doses or 5.1 per cent, and pigs roughly 6.7 million doses or 1.9 per cent.

However, domestic production meets only about a quarter of national vaccine requirements during peak periods. Despite strong demand for priority vaccines such as Newcastle Disease, Peste des Petits Ruminants, Lumpy Skin Disease, and Foot-and-Mouth Disease, supply, distribution and routine vaccination uptake remain inadequate.

Stakeholders agreed that coordinated reforms across government, the private sector, and development partners are required 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 practitioners, researchers and industry stakeholders.