Transboundary Disease Dynamics, Livestock Trade Networks, and Biosecurity Governance in Nigeria-Cameroon-Niger Livestock Corridors

Transboundary livestock movement between Nigeria, Cameroon, and Niger creates pathogen exchange networks that challenge national animal and public health sovereignty. This study analyzed transboundary disease dynamics, livestock trade network structures, and biosecurity governance in the Nigeria-Cameroon-Niger livestock corridor system. A multi-country mixed-methods study was conducted. Social network analysis was applied to livestock trade data from 1,200 transactions documented at 15 border markets over 12 months to characterize trade network topology and identify superspreader nodes. Concurrent disease surveillance was conducted at sampled border markets using serological and molecular methods for foot-and-mouth disease, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, and Newcastle disease. Governance analysis assessed bilateral and trilateral veterinary public health agreements and their implementation. Network analysis identified four high-centrality border market nodes through which over 60% of trade flow passed, representing critical points for disease amplification and spread. Serological evidence of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia was found in 13.2% of sampled cattle, with lineages tracing to Cameroonian and Nigerien herd sources by phylogenetic analysis. Newcastle disease virus genotype VII was detected at three border markets. Governance analysis revealed that no functional trilateral veterinary surveillance protocol existed, and bilateral agreements were largely unimplemented. The study provides original network and disease ecology data for transboundary disease governance design. A risk-based border biosecurity protocol with trilateral coordination mechanisms and shared surveillance data infrastructure is proposed for ECOWAS and AU-IBAR adoption. Keywords: transboundary disease, livestock trade networks, biosecurity governance, Nigeria, border surveillance