Nigeria, FAO join forces with $350,000 to fight bird flu

Nigeria’s federal government and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have agreed on a $350,000 support program to help Nigeria respond to the current outbreak of bird flu and improve the country’s animal health system.

The agreement was made on Wednesday during a meeting in Abuja between the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, and the FAO Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Hussein Gadain.

The funding will come through FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme. It will help Nigeria control the disease in 11 states that have already been affected. The support will also improve disease monitoring, coordination, and emergency response to stop the flu from spreading further.

Maiha said controlling animal diseases is important for improving livestock production and protecting farmers’ livelihoods.

He explained that several factors have helped diseases spread among animals. These include:

Drought

Lack of animal feed

Contact between livestock and wild animals

Movement of animals across borders

According to him, Nigeria needs stronger animal health systems and better-trained professionals to handle disease outbreaks.

Gadain praised Nigeria’s efforts to improve the livestock sector and said FAO will continue to provide technical support. He emphasized the need to:

Strengthen veterinary services in states and communities

Detect diseases early

Encourage farmers to follow proper biosecurity practices

The meeting also discussed progress in the global effort to eliminate Peste des Petits Ruminants, a serious disease that affects sheep and goats.

To move forward, the livestock ministry plans to hold a national technical meeting with veterinary experts, researchers, and institutions. They will review Nigeria’s strategy to eliminate the disease and address problems with vaccine supply.

The ministry will also work with the National Veterinary Research Institute to check its ability to produce vaccines and explore other ways to get enough vaccines for the country.

Both sides also agreed to help Nigeria access funding from the Pandemic Fund using the One Health approach. This will involve cooperation with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the Federal Ministry of Health to better prepare for diseases that can spread from animals to humans.

Plans are also being made for the Director-General of FAO to attend the Antimicrobial Resistance Conference scheduled for June 2026 in Abuja.

At the event, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to be recognized as the African Champion for the eradication of Peste des Petits Ruminants.

Finally, both parties agreed to create a Livestock Donor Working Group. This group will coordinate support from development partners and help develop a national feed and fodder strategy to improve livestock productivity and sustainability in Nigeria.