By Jide Akinseye
In a renewed push to protect Nigeria’s livestock industry and rural livelihoods, the Federal Government has launched a coordinated campaign to combat the spread of tsetse flies and the diseases they transmit across key states.
The Federal Government has stepped up efforts to curb the spread of tsetse flies and associated diseases, rolling out a coordinated intervention across the Federal Capital Territory, Kogi, and Ogun states.
The initiative, driven by the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, is targeting grazing reserves, livestock settlements, and high-risk corridors as part of a broader strategy to safeguard livestock productivity and protect public health.
In a statement issued on Monday by the ministry’s Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Henrietta Okokon, the government said the intervention combines surveillance, vector control, and community sensitisation. Officials have been deployed to affected areas with traps, fumigation tools, and insecticide treatments aimed at reducing infestation levels.
According to Ozoemena Uche, Deputy Director and Coordinator of the Federal Epidemiology Unit, the campaign is crucial given the risks posed by trypanosomiasis—a disease transmitted by tsetse flies that affects both animals and humans.
“Our goal is to reduce its impact on livestock productivity and prevent associated public health risks,” he said.
At the Paikon Kore Grazing Reserve in the FCT, local authorities say the burden of livestock diseases extends beyond tsetse-borne infections. Reserve manager Mohammed Bala highlighted ongoing challenges with ailments such as foot-and-mouth disease and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, calling for sustained veterinary support and improved access to vaccines.
Also speaking, Abdulkadiri Adaji, Team Lead of the Tsetse Fly Surveillance and Ground Control Programme, underscored the economic implications of the infestation, noting that it continues to undermine livestock production and rural livelihoods.
“This exercise is critical to generating data and implementing control measures that will reverse this trend,” he said, adding that tackling animal-borne diseases is essential for national health security.
In Ogun State, officials said a combination of physical and chemical control measures is being deployed. These include the use of traps to capture flies and targeted insecticide applications to eliminate those not caught.
Gilbert Okoro, a team lead at the ministry, explained that the intervention aligns with the One Health approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health considerations in disease control efforts.
The ministry noted that the exercise is part of a sustained national strategy to combat tsetse-borne diseases, boost livestock output, and strengthen the resilience of rural communities across Nigeria.
