The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, FMLD, has called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, communities, development partners, the private sector and other stakeholders to accelerate efforts towards eliminating rabies in Nigeria.
The call was made during activities marking the 2026 World Rabies Day, with the theme: “Stronger Together: Ending Rabies in Nigeria.”
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Speaking at the event, the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria and Director, Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, Dr Samuel Akawu Anzaku, described rabies as a major public health concern, despite being preventable through vaccination.
Dr Anzaku said Nigeria was part of the global effort to eliminate rabies by 2030, stressing that the commemoration should translate public awareness into sustained interventions, particularly mass dog vaccination.
He said activities for the campaign included mass vaccination targeting communities and Area Councils, a technical symposium and national mobilisation involving State Veterinary Services, development partners, the private sector and other stakeholders.
The Chief Veterinary Officer disclosed plans to introduce human pre-exposure prophylaxis for frontline workers regularly exposed to dogs, including veterinarians, para-veterinary professionals and hunters.
He emphasised the importance of the One Health approach, saying effective control of rabies requires coordinated action across the human health, livestock and environmental sectors. He also called for stronger measures to address the challenge of stray dogs.
The National Coordinator, Rabies Control Programme in Nigeria and Coordinator, National One Health Technical Working Group on Rabies, Dr George Uzaga Onyemaokwu, said Nigeria continues to record rabies cases, with reports received from between 18 and 20 states in some months.
Dr Onyemaokwu said more than 100 cases had been recorded between January and August 2026, with rabies reported in different parts of the country, including areas of concern in the North-Central and North-East.
He said Nigeria has an estimated dog population of more than 30 million and stressed the need to achieve high vaccination coverage, with a target of vaccinating about 70 per cent of the dog population. He identified responsible dog ownership and mass vaccination as key measures for preventing rabies.
The One Health Lead at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, Dr Nasir Ahmed, called for sustained collaboration among government institutions, communities and other stakeholders, noting that the Centre supports public awareness and access to post-exposure prophylaxis for people exposed to rabies.
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The FCT One Health Desk Officer, Dr Sharifat Fadugba, and the Chairperson of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, NVMA, FCT Chapter, Dr Chinnemeka Joe Irobe, represented by Dr Moses Arokoju, called for stronger community engagement, reliable data on the dog population and increased vaccination coverage.
Dr Irobe disclosed that the Association had commenced mass dog vaccination across rural communities in the FCT, while stakeholders urged Nigerians to practise responsible dog ownership and promptly report dog-bite incidents to health or veterinary facilities.