Livestock Disease Surveillance and Reporting Systems: Professional Application in North Central Nigeria

This study examines the design, implementation, and effectiveness of livestock disease surveillance and reporting systems in North Central Nigeria, with a focus on improving early detection and response capabilities. Livestock disease surveillance is a critical function of veterinary public health systems that enables early warning of emerging disease threats and supports rational disease control investment. In North Central Nigeria, surveillance capacity varies significantly across states and local government areas, creating gaps that allow diseases to spread before detection. This study uses a system analysis methodology, reviewing disease reporting data from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, National Veterinary Research Institute Vom, and state veterinary offices in Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Nasarawa, and Plateau States for the period 2019 to 2023. Interviews with 40 state and federal veterinary officers supplement the data analysis. Surveillance system performance is assessed using timeliness, completeness, sensitivity, and representativeness dimensions. Findings reveal significant gaps in passive surveillance reporting, with estimated completeness below 35 percent for most disease conditions. Field-level data collection infrastructure is inadequate, with insufficient veterinary officers per livestock unit and limited diagnostic laboratory capacity. Community-based animal disease reporter networks, where established, significantly improve outbreak detection timeliness. The study concludes that strengthening community-based animal disease reporting is the highest-impact near-term investment for North Central Nigeria's surveillance system. It recommends a standardised mobile phone-based disease reporting application for community animal health workers.

Keywords: livestock disease surveillance, disease reporting, North Central Nigeria, veterinary services, early warning.