Nigeria calls for emergency response to African swine fever outbreak

NIGERIA – Nigeria has called for an emergency response to an African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in Ogun State, with authorities urged to strengthen surveillance, movement controls and farm-level biosecurity to contain transmission.

Ustace Iyayi, special assistant to Livestock Development Minister Idi Maiha, said the outbreak should be treated as an animal-health emergency requiring coordinated action between veterinary authorities, the Ogun State Government and the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.

Speaking in Abuja, Iyayi said immediate priorities should include confirming and mapping cases, containing the disease, protecting unaffected farms, communicating with farmers and establishing an appropriate recovery mechanism.

Available reports indicate that the outbreak has affected pig farms around the Ikangba/Agoro axis. Iyayi called for farm-by-farm epidemiological investigations rather than relying solely on reports of pig deaths.

“The Ogun outbreak should be viewed as both an emergency and a warning. The immediate objective must be to stop transmission and protect unaffected farms,” he said.

He said the response should extend beyond culling and disinfection to include surveillance, biosecurity, movement control, diagnostics, farmer reporting, compensation and recovery finance.

Strengthening biosecurity

Iyayi recommended deploying rapid-response veterinary teams to conduct active surveillance on affected and neighbouring farms, investigate unusual pig deaths and collect samples for laboratory testing.

He also called for temporary restrictions on the movement of live pigs and carcasses from affected premises and clusters.

Controls should extend to contaminated equipment and vehicles moving between infected and unaffected farms.

Communal slaughter facilities should also be placed under strict veterinary supervision, with temporary suspension where necessary, he said.

Iyayi cited lessons from the Gudugba outbreak investigation, which identified a communal slaughter facility as a possible transmission pathway.

ASF is a severe and highly contagious viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs.

Mortality can reach 100%, creating significant risks for pig producers and the wider livestock value chain.

Nigeria has experienced repeated ASF outbreaks, with previous research highlighting the economic impact on pig farms. 

A study of 62 farms involving 6,208 pigs across Ogun, Oyo and Lagos during the 2019-2021 outbreak recorded a 60.6% mortality rate.

Herd sizes declined by 92.1% following mortality, panic sales and other emergency measures, while financial losses from pig mortality were estimated at N166.26 million (US$101,000 at the average 2019–2021 exchange rate).

In Ogun, 1,789 of 2,868 pigs died, representing a mortality rate of 62.4%.

The latest outbreak is the third reported in Ogun within a decade, with affected farmers reporting substantial pig mortality and financial losses.

The response is expected to focus on limiting further transmission while strengthening long-term disease-risk management in high-density pig production areas.

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