By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Ekiti State government has received 80,500 doses of livestock vaccines from the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development for the prevention and control of transboundary animal diseases in the state.
The vaccines were distributed through the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support programme.
The vaccines comprise 50,000 doses of Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia vaccine, 30,000 doses of Newcastle Disease Vaccine and 500 doses of Foot-and-Mouth Disease vaccine.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Ebenezer Boluwade, while receiving the vaccines on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti, said the intervention was part of the state government’s strategic efforts to strengthen animal health systems and boost livestock productivity.
Boluwade said effective disease surveillance and control were critical to achieving sustainable food security and improving public health outcomes in the state.
He assured livestock farmers and other stakeholders that the vaccines would be deployed through coordinated vaccination campaigns to ensure wide coverage across livestock clusters and farming communities.
The State Project Coordinator of L-PRES, Mr Olayinka Adedipe, said the vaccine delivery aligned with ongoing efforts to build resilience against cross-border animal diseases.
Adedipe said the project would work closely with veterinary officers to ensure proper cold-chain management, handling and effective administration of the vaccines.
The Director of Veterinary Services in the state, Dr Adedamola Fasoranti, stressed the importance of timely vaccination in preventing outbreaks of diseases among livestock.
Fasoranti said timely vaccination would reduce livestock mortality and improve productivity.
The National Project Coordinator of the programme, Dr Abubakar Sanusi, commended the state government for its collaboration and readiness to implement the vaccination programme effectively.
Sanusi was represented at the event by the Legal Adviser of L-PRES, Mr Ken Agim.
NAN