The Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association in Kogi State has urged the state government to employ a minimum of two veterinary doctors per Local Government Area to strengthen rabies surveillance and the One Health response.

The Chairman of the association, Dr Tolu Omotugba, made the call on Monday in Lokoja at a news conference to commemorate the 2026 World Rabies Day, held at the NVMA Secretariat.

Omotugba said Kogi, with 21 LGAs, a large dog population used for hunting and security, and porous borders, could not afford to be complacent about rabies.

According to him, rabies is a disease that is 99.9 per cent fatal once symptoms appear but 100 per cent preventable.

He said although veterinary officers in the state civil service were putting in their best, their number was grossly inadequate.

“We have about 28 to 30 veterinary officers currently in the Kogi civil service, which is not enough. Some LGAs do not even have the presence of a veterinary officer. Most states in the federation have between 50 and 100; some have about 200.

“We are suggesting a minimum of two per LGA so that they can at least do disease reporting, especially for diseases of public health concern. If the state can do well, they can have as many as five per LGA,” he said.

Omotugba recalled that in 2025, Bassa LGA in Plateau State lost 12 lives, including a family of three, to rabies, adding that “a single dog bite, a single scratch, can end a family.”

He said the 2026 theme, “Stronger Together”, underscored the need for collaboration among the Ministries of Health, Environment, Education and Livestock, veterinary and medical doctors, environmental health officers and community leaders.

He commended the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, led by Minister Idi Mukhtar Maiha, for targeting 70 per cent annual dog vaccination and zero human deaths by 2030.

He noted that 26,000 doses were deployed to eight high-risk states in 2025, while the FCT recently flagged off the vaccination of 20,000 dogs.

Omotugba decried the fact that Kogi still relied on outdated laws, citing the Rabies Act of 1935 and the Dogs Law, Cap 36 of Northern Nigeria, which provide for seizure and licensing but lack modern population management and enforcement.

He said less than five per cent of dogs in Lokoja, Okene, Anyigba and Ankpa were licensed.

“We cannot eliminate a 21st-century disease with 20th-century laws,” he said.

He therefore urged the state government to domesticate the Kogi State Rabies Control and Responsible Dog Ownership Bill 2026 to make annual vaccination compulsory, establish a dog registry, stipulate penalties for stray dogs and replace shooting on sight with humane management.

He also called for a dedicated budget line for rabies under the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project to support free mass vaccination, sensitisation and post-exposure prophylaxis in state hospitals, as well as the creation of a Kogi One Health Rabies Task Force.

“Let Kogi lead as the first state in North-Central to be rabies-free,” he said.