The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has revealed that the number of states battling Avian Influenza popularly known as Bird Flu has now increased to 18 states in the country.

 

Adesina, who was represented by the deputy director in the Federal Ministry of

 

Agriculture, Dr. Ademola Majasan, stated this during a two-day refresher training course organised  for the federal and state epidemiology officers on Avian Influenza prevention and containment in Ibadan recently.

 

According to him, a total of 322 poultry farms have been affected, with Kano State having the highest number of 156, Plateau 82, Bauchi 19 and Kaduna 14.

 

In an effort to contain the current Avian Influenza resurgence in the country, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is partnering the federal government by engaging over 160 participants in a training the trainers’ workshop and capacity building for relevant officers.

 

Adesina decried the timing of the epidemic as the country was about to achieve national self-sufficiency in poultry and poultry products, with the possibility of exports to ECOWAS sub-regions.

 

The last outbreak affected poultry farms in 25 states and the FCT that led to depopulation of more than 1.2million birds, destruction of 118, 183 eggs and payment of the sum of N631 million as compensation. We do not want that to happen at this time, so we are putting up strategies to ensure that the disease is contained while not creating any unnecessary panic.

 

It would be recalled in January, it was reported that Bird Flu has been noticed in Lagos and Kano and experts warned that necessary actions should be put in place to contain its spread.

 

By Martins Ifijeh

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