By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has flagged off the vaccination of animals against trans-boundary diseases across the 30 local government areas of the state.
Speaking at the flag off of the event on Thursday held at Boredun Village in Ibokun Local Government Area of the state, the Givernor represented by the Deputy Governor Prince Kola Adewusi emphasized the importance of animal health for employment, income, and foreign exchange, saying livestock production is crucial for the state’s economy.
Adeleke urged livestock farmers to take full advantage of the vaccination exercise by presenting their animals to trained veterinary personnel, stating that their cooperation is crucial to the success of the programme.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to agriculture saying, “We have expanded access to arable land and distributed inputs such as fertilisers, broiler chicks, cassava stems, vegetable seeds, agrochemicals and cash crop seedlings.”
According to him, “Animal health is vital to the growth of the livestock industry. It is also essential to the wellbeing of our people. Livestock production supports food security and economic development. The sector provides employment and income for our citizens. It generates foreign exchange and supplies rich sources of protein for human nutrition. It also provides raw materials for industries including leather clothing and footwear production.”
“Livestock production faces serious threats from Trans-boundary Animal Diseases such as Contagious Foot and Mouth Diseases. These diseases spread rapidly across borders and they cause high animal mortality and severe economic losses. They also threaten food security and increase poverty when outbreaks occur. The most effective way to prevent these diseases therefore, is through vaccination as prevention is better and cheaper than managing an outbreak.”
“In recognition of this, our Government in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has launched this State-wide vaccination exercise. The programme builds on previous interventions and sensitisation campaigns carried out across the State.”
“In 2025, we vaccinated cattle against Anthrax while we also vaccinated dogs and cats against Rabies. Today, we are expanding the programme to cover cattle sheep goats and poultry. Since some of these diseases can be transmitted from animals to humans, we have to protect our livestock and safeguard public health.”
“Our administration has continued to prioritise agriculture. We procured thirty-one new tractors with full implements to support farmers across the State. These tractors have been deployed to farmers’ cooperative societies and agricultural associations across the nine federal constituencies.”
“In the livestock sub-sector, we introduced the Osun Broiler Out-grower Production Scheme and this programme continues to empower poultry farmers and create jobs along the poultry value chain. We have also distributed starter pigs to interested farmers including youths women and persons with disabilities.”
“I want to urge all livestock farmers to take advantage of this vaccination exercise by presenting your animals to our trained veterinary personnel. Your cooperation is absolutely essential to the success of this programme. Together, we can protect our livestock, strengthen our economy and secure the health of our people,” he added.
In a seperate remark, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Honourable Babatola Faseru noted that 70% of human diseases have animal links, stressing the need for holistic disease prevention.
He praised the government’s efforts in animal healthcare service delivery through the veterinary services department.
The vaccination exercise is part of Osun State’s efforts to boost food security, economy, and public health.