Establishing a National Veterinary Public Health Surveillance Architecture for Nigeria: Policy Analysis and System Design

Nigeria lacks a formally designed national veterinary public health surveillance architecture, resulting in fragmented disease intelligence, delayed outbreak response, and inadequate engagement with international reporting obligations. This study analyzed existing surveillance capacities and designed a feasible national veterinary public health surveillance architecture for Nigeria. A systems analysis approach combined document review, stakeholder mapping, and organizational network analysis. National and state-level disease reporting records, policy documents, and international frameworks including the International Health Regulations and the World Organisation for Animal Health Performance of Veterinary Services assessment were reviewed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 60 key informants across federal, state, and local government levels. Network analysis mapped information flow pathways between 45 institutional actors. Gap analysis identified seven critical architectural deficiencies including absence of integrated human-animal-environmental disease reporting, inadequate laboratory confirmation networks, and non-interoperable data management systems. A proposed national architecture incorporates a federal-level One Health surveillance hub, state integration platforms using existing DHIS2 infrastructure, a national veterinary laboratory network, mandatory zoonotic disease sentinel sites at 120 strategic abattoirs and livestock markets, and a standardized electronic reporting protocol. The study provides the most comprehensive policy analysis and architectural design for national veterinary public health surveillance produced for Nigeria and contributes directly to ongoing national health security reform under NAPHS 2.0. Keywords: veterinary public health surveillance, national architecture, Nigeria, disease reporting, health security