Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa has reiterated his administration’s commitment to using modern agricultural technology to boost food production in the state while assisting farmers with improved inputs.  

He made this statement at the flag-off ceremony of the free anthrax vaccination campaign, organized by the L-PRES project in collaboration with the state government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Governor Aiyedatiwa, who spoke through the Head of Service, Mr. Bayo Phillips, said the government would encourage farmers to adopt modern techniques and tools to enhance their farming activities and boost crop yields for food sufficiency in the state.

According to him, the administration recognizes the importance of addressing food insecurity and boosting productivity, adding that government places a premium on the agricultural sector.

He further emphasised, “that the 2025 Appropriation Law is unique in the sense that it is titled ‘Budget of Recovery’ for the state, saying it will mark a significant step towards fulfilling the promises made to the good people of the State during the electioneering period.

“The need to strengthen national and sub-national capacities for disease prevention, preparedness, and response is becoming increasingly urgent, critical, and expedient in our efforts to curb outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases of priority in our country.

“It is my expectation that at the end of this free anthrax vaccination exercise, Ondo State would have complied with the Federal Government of Nigeria’s policy on the prevention and eradication of anthrax. This will improve livestock health and fully secure our livestock industry against anthrax outbreaks,” he said.

In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Agriculture Sector), Mrs. Foluke Tunde-Daramola, stated that the ministry supports the L-PRES project to maximize the state’s benefits from its laudable programmes.

While explaining that anthrax is an infectious disease of public health importance caused by the bacteria Bacillus anthracis, Tunde-Daramola ranked it as one of the top five priority zoonotic diseases in Nigeria.

“The organism is susceptible to some antibiotics, but vaccination is the most economical and highly protective measure to prevent anthrax-related deaths among livestock and other susceptible animals. It also prevents the consequent transmission to humans who come in contact with infected animals, their products, or contaminated environments,” she said.

Mrs. Tunde-Daramola urged livestock farmers and owners to ensure that their susceptible animals, such as goats, sheep, and cattle, are vaccinated free of charge.

Speaking with newsmen, the Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Adebayo Ehinmowo, stated that vaccination teams would be deployed to all the 18 local government areas of the state. He added that over 140,000 animals are expected to be vaccinated during the two-week programme across the state.