The Islamic Development Bank, (IsDB) in partnership with the Lives and Livelihood Fund (LLF) has released about N74 million for the purchase of vaccines and other consumables for mass livestock vaccination campaign in Kano State.
The fund was allocated through the Islamic Solidarity Fund, the poverty alleviation arm of the Islamic Development Bank Group, to the Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP) for the vaccination of cattle, sheep and goats against major diseases challenging their productivity and health.
Livestock health and productivity are serious concerns in not only Kano State but Nigeria in general. An indication of this problem is that the country imports 60 percent of its milk requirement, implying that local production cannot meet up with demand.
At the moment, Nigeria’s milk and dairy products importation stands at about $1. 5 billion, which is presumably as result of the prolonged neglect of the livestock sector by successive governments.
Flagging off the vaccination at Dansoshiya Grazing Reserve, Kiru Local Government Area yesterday, the state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, said: “I must emphasise that besides playing a major role in protecting animal health and reducing their suffering, this vaccination is an issue of serious public health concern because it prevents animal to human transmission of diseases and enables efficient production of halal animal-derived food products to feed our growing population.”
According to him, “We must remain committed to securing the health of our animals because research has shown that milk and meat provide a vital source of nutrition for the populace, especially vulnerable groups such as children and sick people.”
Highlighting that the livestock vaccination was free, Ganduje urged herdsmen and those engaged in domestic animals reproduction and fattening in Kano to take advantage of the exercise for the wellbeing of their livestock.
Ganduje thanked the Islamic Development Bank and the Lives and Livelihood Fund for their support towards initiating the KSADP, which he described as a flagship project of his administration.
The state Project Coordinator of KSADP, Malam Ibrahim Garba Muhammad, explained that the vaccination, which would be conducted with the active collaboration of the state Ministry of Agriculture, would last for 10 days, adding that 520 inoculators would conduct the exercise under the supervision of 25 veterinary doctors.
In a goodwill message at the occasion, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, represented by Dr. Yahya Tanko described the KSADP as a noble project which is in line with the Federal Government’s Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project.
