FAO and Nigeria strengthen veterinary diagnostic laboratories across West Africa

The Food and Agriculture Organization’s Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases, funded by the United States Agency for International Development, has upgraded veterinary diagnostic laboratories in 14 facilities across ten West and Central African nations since 2015. The programme now includes Niger and Nigeria, enabling labs to detect priority animal diseases such as rabies, brucellosis, highly pathogenic avian influenza and viral haemorrhagic fevers.

In Nigeria, stakeholders at a public‑private laboratory forum in Abuja urged the integration of private veterinary labs into the national disease‑surveillance system. Professor Clement Meseko of the National Veterinary Research Institute highlighted the need for collaboration among federal, state and private labs. Moses Arokoyo of the Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines warned that fragmented data hampers outbreak response, while Veterinary Council President Matthew Adamu called for stronger state‑level laboratory infrastructure. Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Samuel Anzaku emphasized the urgency of improving disease reporting to control poultry outbreaks.