In a major effort to protect public health and secure the local livestock economy, the Gombe State Government officially launched its annual statewide animal vaccination drive on Wednesday morning, October 7, 2026, at the Gombe Livestock Market in Gombe Metropolis.
​The campaign targets major contagious diseases affecting cattle, sheep, goats, and poultry across all 11 Local Government Areas. These include Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), Newcastle Disease, and Anthrax.
​Officiating the ceremony on behalf of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, Deputy Governor Dr. Manassah Daniel Jatau emphasized the direct connection between animal welfare and human health.
​”Just as we emphasize the health of human beings, the health of lower animals must also be considered and properly treated,” Dr. Jatau said. “Healthy animals mean that human beings are interacting with disease-free animals. Healthy animals are a source of healthy meat that we consume, while healthy animals also have more value than diseased animals.”
​Highlighting the practical impact of past campaigns, Barnabas Baba-Alkali, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, reported that state veterinary interventions successfully reduced livestock mortality rates from 28.1 percent in 2022 down to 12.2 percent by 2025.
​During the previous year’s exercise alone, state officials vaccinated over 518,000 animals, including nearly 270,000 cattle and over 200,000 sheep and goats.
​Local agricultural leaders also voiced strong support for the initiative. Modibbo Yahaya, Chairman of the Gombe State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), commended the government’s ongoing commitment to livestock welfare and conflict prevention.
He urged pastoralists to bring their herds forward to vaccination centers and called on crop farmers to avoid encroaching on established cattle grazing routes.
​Mobile veterinary teams and designated local collection sites are now operational across the state, with officials urging all livestock owners and traders to participate fully in the coming weeks.
