Developing a Phytosanitary Surveillance Programme for Emerging Crop Diseases in the South South Zone

Emerging crop diseases and invasive pest species entering Nigeria through the South South zone represent significant threats to national food security, and a professionally designed phytosanitary surveillance programme would provide early warning capacity to minimise their spread and economic impact. This study developed a phytosanitary surveillance programme for emerging crop diseases and pests in Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Bayelsa States, South South Nigeria. A programme design methodology was applied, drawing on review of FAO-IPPC International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures, structured consultations with 14 plant health specialists from the Federal Department of Agriculture and the National Plant Quarantine Service, assessment of existing port and border entry surveillance capacity, and comparative review of regional phytosanitary surveillance programmes from Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. Key programme components designed include a sentinel farm network of 20 volunteer farms per state, a standardised monitoring protocol for priority pest and disease categories, digital data collection using NPQS mobile surveillance application, a rapid response protocol for first detections of quarantine pests, reference laboratory specimen submission procedures, and public and farmer reporting incentive mechanisms. Expert review by nine plant health and biosecurity specialists confirmed the programme's design quality. The study recommends implementation by the National Plant Quarantine Service in partnership with state ministries of agriculture, with external funding support from the African Development Bank Integrated Agricultural Transformation Programme.

Keywords: phytosanitary surveillance, emerging crop diseases, South South Nigeria, plant quarantine, biosecurity