Government Begins Anti–Rabies Vaccination, Targets Zero Death By 2030

The federal government launched the 2025 nationwide mass anti-rabies vaccination campaign in Abuja and called for collective responsibility to end the death of humans from rabies by 2030.

At the campaign’s flag-off at the Old Parade Ground in Abuja, the minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, described rabies as one of the deadliest but most preventable zoonotic diseases.

He said coordinated action was vital to the eradication of the disease.

The minister said this year’s theme, “You, Me and the Community”, “reminds us that government efforts alone cannot eliminate rabies. It requires the active involvement of every citizen—policy makers, veterinarians, dog owners, hunters, teachers, parents, and all community members.”

Maiha revealed that 26,000 doses of anti-rabies vaccines had been procured for immediate rollout in states with the highest recorded cases in the past six months, including Lagos, Gombe, Bauchi, Plateau, Cross River, Kano, Osun and the FCT.

The distribution will be extended to veterinary teaching hospitals and federal colleges of animal health in Plateau, Oyo and Kaduna States.

Maiha said the campaign would deploy digital tools such as the Kobotool App to track real-time vaccination data and urged communities to support veterinary services in reporting cases and ensuring wide coverage.

In her remarks, the ministry’s permanent secretary, Dr Chinyere Akujobi, represented by the director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr Stephen Ohaeri, described this year’s World Rabies Day celebration as a call to action for all stakeholders.

She thanked partners and frontline workers for their commitment to rabies prevention and urged them to sustain the momentum.

The chief veterinary officer of Nigeria, Dr Muhammed Inuwa, represented by the head of Public Health and Epidemiology, Dr Samuel Anzaku, expressed optimism that the flag-off of the campaign would translate into concrete action.

Similarly, the national project coordinator for L-PRES, Dr Sanusi Abubakar, pledged continued collaboration with the ministry to scale up vaccination programmes nationwide.

In a goodwill message, the director of Veterinary Services, FCT, Dr Idris Ademoh, called for a review of the Animal Disease Control Act to address wider challenges in animal health.

He stressed the need to combat bovine tuberculosis and recommended introducing a compensation framework for butchers whose infected cattle are condemned, to protect both livelihoods and public health.

The chairperson of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), FCT Chapter, Dr Chinna Joe-Iruobe, who also serves as an assistant commissioner of police, expressed optimism that the campaign would deepen awareness, particularly in rural areas where rabies is more prevalent.