In a major boost to Nigeria’s livestock sector, the Federal Government has inaugurated a state-of-the-art solar-powered vaccine storage facility in Sheda, along the Abuja-Lokoja Road in the Federal Capital Territory. The facility, with a capacity to store 40 million doses, was officially unveiled on Wednesday by the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, alongside Prof. Attahiru Jega, co-chair of the Presidential Livestock Reforms Committee.

Funded by the World Bank through the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (LPRES), the facility is set to revolutionize vaccine storage and distribution across Nigeria. Minister Maiha emphasized that this project bridges a critical gap in vaccine storage, ensuring a steady and efficient supply of vaccines to combat livestock diseases nationwide. He highlighted that with a solar-powered system, the facility is designed to operate smoothly despite Nigeria’s power supply challenges. With this increased storage capacity, the country will be better positioned to respond swiftly to outbreaks of transboundary and zoonotic diseases, which pose significant risks to both animal and human health.

Speaking on behalf of the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee, Prof. Jega stressed the facility’s crucial role in supporting livestock productivity, food security, public health, and economic stability. He explained that transboundary and zoonotic diseases remain a major threat to Nigeria’s agriculture and economy, making this facility a key milestone in the country’s broader efforts to mitigate these risks and strengthen the livestock sector.

Minister Maiha also announced plans to commercialize the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) in Jos, a move aimed at increasing vaccine production capacity to 1.2 billion doses annually. This would further enhance Nigeria’s ability to combat livestock diseases and reduce reliance on imported vaccines.

Sanusi Abubakar, the National Project Coordinator for LPRES, noted that the facility was established based on a comprehensive needs assessment conducted in collaboration with Nigeria’s Chief Veterinary Officer. He pointed out that the recent successful distribution of 13 million vaccine doses during an anthrax outbreak demonstrated LPRES’s efficiency in managing disease outbreaks. The new storage facility will serve as a central hub for vaccine distribution, whether domestically produced or imported, ensuring proper storage, cold chain integrity, and efficient tracking.

With this initiative, Nigeria is taking a significant step toward safeguarding animal health, enhancing livestock productivity, and strengthening national food security. The facility is expected to play a pivotal role in disease prevention and control, ultimately supporting a more resilient and sustainable livestock sector.