The Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN) has expressed concerns over the shortage of staff, funding, and facilities, which is hampering the country's efforts to eradicate rabies. According to the Acting Registrar of the Council, Dr. Oladokun Fadipe, the unavailability of adequate resources is a major challenge in achieving the 2030 eradication target. He made this statement in Abuja while commemorating World Rabies Day, marked annually on September 28.
Dr. Fadipe stated that the government must dedicate adequate resources to mobilize personnel for mass vaccination of dogs nationwide. He suggested that once the government achieves mass vaccination in one year, dog owners will have a duty to present their animals for routine vaccination, with sanctions for non-compliance. This, he believes, will help ensure that all dogs are vaccinated and reduce the risk of rabies transmission.
The VCN Acting Registrar decried the inadequate manpower and facilities to attend to persons bitten by rabid dogs. He disclosed that only 12,700 veterinarians are registered in the country, while registered para-veterinarians are below 10,000, against an estimated 50,000. This shortage of manpower is a significant challenge in achieving the eradication target, as there are not enough hands to carry out mass vaccination and provide adequate care to those bitten by rabid dogs.
Dr. Fadipe further stated that only a few veterinarians are in government service, while the majority are in the private sector and others outside the country. He described the number of veterinarians in public service as grossly inadequate for the 2030 eradication target. To address this challenge, he called for the recruitment of more personnel, upgrading of facilities, and boosting the capacity of the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) to produce adequate vaccines to meet national demand.
The NVRI, responsible for vaccine production, currently lacks the capacity to produce enough vaccines to meet the country's needs, leading to imports. Dr. Fadipe emphasized the need for collaboration between stakeholders to achieve the eradication target. He described the commemoration of World Rabies Day as a season of collaboration, not competition, in line with the 2026 theme, "Stronger Together".
Dr. Fadipe urged stakeholders to work together to achieve responsible dog ownership and ensure that dog owners present their dogs for free vaccination when opportunities arise. He also called for media advocacy and sensitization of people to achieve 100% eradication of rabies. By working together, he believes that Nigeria can eradicate rabies and keep preventing it in the future.
The Veterinary Council of Nigeria is working to address the challenges hindering rabies eradication efforts. Key to this is the collaboration between stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, especially the Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services. The Council aims to ensure that Nigeria achieves the 2030 target of eradicating rabies and maintaining a rabies-free status.
Key points
- The Veterinary Council of Nigeria calls for increased funding and manpower to support mass vaccination of dogs nationwide.
- Nigeria has only 12,700 registered veterinarians and below 10,000 registered para-veterinarians, against an estimated 50,000 needed.
- The National Veterinary Research Institute lacks capacity to produce enough vaccines, leading to imports.
