By Erewunmi Peace

The NVMA has raised alarm over the role of animal-origin diseases in Nigeria’s public-health landscape, saying many human infections can be traced to animals and improper livestock handling. The association’s leaders used recent meetings and press statements to call for increased recruitment of veterinarians for local government areas, regularisation of abattoirs and stepped-up disease surveillance across the livestock value chain.

While some outlets reported the NVMA as saying “more than 65% of diseases suffered by Nigerians are livestock-related,” public health literature typically refers to global estimates showing that a majority of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic — commonly cited ranges put this at roughly 60–75% for emerging pathogens. NVMA officials emphasised that national surveillance must improve before a precise Nigeria-specific percentage can be asserted with confidence.

Dr. Moses Arokoyo, President of the NVMA, has repeatedly warned about the public-health risks posed by unhealthy abattoirs and gaps in veterinary coverage across the country, arguing the federal and state governments should prioritise veterinary deployment and capacity building to protect both human and animal health. He noted that quackery in the livestock sector undermines food safety and raises the likelihood of zoonotic spillover.

Experts say practical measures to reduce zoonotic risk include: upgrading abattoir infrastructure, enforcing slaughter and meat-inspection standards, expanding vaccination and disease-reporting among livestock, and creating stronger One-Health coordination between ministries of health, agriculture and environment. International research and policy bodies — and the NVMA itself — are pushing for a livestock master plan and wider investment in veterinary public-health systems to reduce the burden of animal-linked diseases.