Nigeria expands veterinary vaccine storage with 40M-dose facility

NIGERIA – Nigeria has commissioned a solar-powered veterinary vaccine cold storage facility in Adamawa State with capacity for about 40 million doses, strengthening the country’s efforts to improve livestock disease prevention and animal health management.

Livestock Development Minister Idi Maiha inaugurated the facility in Jimeta on August 27 as the government works to strengthen veterinary services and vaccination systems.

The facility, established under the World Bank-supported Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), operates off-grid using solar power. 

This is intended to reduce disruptions caused by unreliable electricity and help maintain vaccine efficacy through a stable cold chain.

The facility will serve as a strategic storage and distribution hub for veterinary vaccines across northeastern Nigeria. 

Similar facilities have been established in Abuja, Sokoto, Edo, Lagos and Anambra, according to the Nigerian News Agency (NAN).

The investment comes as Nigeria faces continued animal health challenges, including outbreaks of avian influenza and anthrax in 2026.

In June, the Ministry of Livestock Development reported avian influenza outbreaks in Kebbi, Kano, Katsina, Plateau and Bauchi states. 

Authorities also reported a new anthrax outbreak in Zamfara State in April.

Strengthening livestock disease prevention

Nigeria adopted a 2026-2036 roadmap in April to modernise animal health management through stronger disease surveillance, veterinary laboratories, vaccination systems, and livestock identification and traceability.

The expanded vaccine infrastructure is expected to support these efforts by improving vaccine storage and distribution to livestock-producing areas while reducing losses linked to cold-chain failures.

Nigeria’s livestock sector contributes about 35% of agricultural GDP and remains an important source of rural livelihoods. 

Strengthening vaccination infrastructure is therefore a key part of efforts to improve livestock productivity, resilience and food security.

The country continues to face diseases including contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, foot-and-mouth disease, bovine tuberculosis and peste des petits ruminants in livestock.

Poultry producers contend with diseases such as Newcastle disease, Gumboro and fowl cholera.

The new facility adds to Nigeria’s growing animal health infrastructure, with improved vaccine access and cold-chain reliability expected to support more effective disease prevention across the livestock sector.

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