The Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), Kogi State branch, has urged the state government to pass the Kogi State Rabies Control and Responsible Dog Ownership Bill 2026 and employ at least two veterinary doctors in each of the state’s 21 local government areas.
The association said the state’s large dog population, porous borders and shortage of veterinary officers weaken rabies surveillance and increase public health risks.
Speaking at a news conference on Monday in Lokoja to mark the 2026 World Rabies Day, the NVMA Chairman in Kogi, Dr Tolu Omotugba, said rabies remains almost always fatal after symptoms appear despite being preventable.
He said the state had only about 28 to 30 veterinary officers in its civil service, leaving some local government areas without any veterinary officers.
“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.”
Omotugba said the 2026 World Rabies Day theme, “Stronger Together”, underscored the need for collaboration among the ministries of Health, Environment, Education and Livestock, as well as veterinary and medical doctors, environmental health officers and community leaders.
He also argued that Kogi’s legal framework for rabies control was outdated, citing the Rabies Act of 1935 and the Dogs Law, Cap 36 of Northern Nigeria.
According to him, the laws provide for dog seizure and licensing but do not address modern population management or enforcement.
He said fewer than 5 per cent of dogs in Lokoja, Okene, Anyigba and Ankpa were licensed, adding that the state could not eliminate “a 21st-century disease with 20th-century laws.”
The association urged the government to pass the Kogi State Rabies Control and Responsible Dog Ownership Bill 2026 to make annual dog vaccination compulsory, establish a dog registry, prescribe penalties for stray dogs and replace shooting on sight with humane management.
It also called for a dedicated budget line for rabies under the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project to fund mass vaccination, public sensitisation and post-exposure treatment in state hospitals, alongside the creation of a Kogi One Health Rabies Task Force.