Abuja, 20 October 2026 – Propcom+ convened Industry leaders, regulators, researchers, veterinary professionals, and development partners to a Roundtable on Veterinary Vaccine Commercialisation Pathways in Nigeria to explore practical solutions for improving vaccine production, distribution, and access across the country’s livestock sector.
The discussions highlighted the urgent need to strengthen Nigeria’s veterinary vaccine ecosystem through increased private sector participation, improved regulatory frameworks, strategic investments, and stronger public-private partnerships.
Participants noted that Nigeria’s livestock and poultry populations continue to grow, creating significant demand for animal vaccines. With an estimated livestock population exceeding 200 million and a poultry population of nearly 700 million birds, the country’s vaccine requirements far exceed current local production capacity.
Stakeholders emphasized that achieving effective disease control will require vaccination coverage of at least 75 percent of susceptible animal populations for many priority diseases. However, current vaccination rates remain far below this threshold, creating substantial gaps in herd immunity and leaving livestock vulnerable to disease outbreaks.
The discussion underscored the need for reliable national data on animal populations, vaccination coverage, and disease prevalence to better estimate vaccine demand and guide investments in local production.
A recurring theme throughout the roundtable was the indispensable role of private veterinary practitioners in delivering animal health services.
Speakers noted that public veterinary services alone cannot adequately meet the needs of Nigeria’s vast livestock sector. Instead, government should increasingly focus on regulation, quality assurance, surveillance, and disease control, while enabling private veterinarians to deliver vaccination and animal health services at scale.
Participants stressed that sustainable vaccination programmes must recognize the costs associated with service delivery, including logistics, cold-chain management, transportation, and field operations.
Stakeholders cited recent experiences, including anthrax vaccination efforts, as evidence that large-scale vaccination is achievable when supported by effective coordination, logistics, real-time monitoring, and adequate funding.
The use of digital tools for field data collection, vaccine tracking, and performance monitoring was highlighted as an important innovation that improved accountability and vaccination coverage during emergency response activities.
These experiences demonstrated that with proper planning and investment, Nigeria can significantly strengthen its disease prevention and control systems.
Stakeholders agreed that local production would improve vaccine availability, strengthen national biosecurity, reduce dependence on imports, and create opportunities for regional exports across West Africa.
Despite the market opportunity, participants identified several obstacles limiting private investment in veterinary vaccine manufacturing:
- High capital requirements for vaccine production facilities
- Limited access to long-term financing
- Regulatory compliance costs
- Inadequate disease surveillance systems
- Weak market intelligence and demand forecasting
- Cold-chain and logistics challenges
- Competition from imported vaccines
- Uncertainty around government policies and incentives
Participants also observed that investors require clearer information on market size, vaccine demand, and commercial viability before committing substantial resources.
Mr Fidelis Nworo, CEO of AgriCare contributing to the conversation during the Roundtable
Similarly, representatives from regulatory institutions emphasized the importance of maintaining vaccine quality, efficacy, and safety throughout production and distribution.
The roundtable examined successful public-private vaccine manufacturing models from across Africa, particularly examples where government-supported institutions evolved into commercially viable production entities. Participants agreed that Nigeria could adapt similar approaches by encouraging strategic partnerships between government institutions, local investors, development partners, and international vaccine manufacturers. Such partnerships could support technology transfer, capacity building, infrastructure development, and access to international markets.
The discussions also acknoledeged that animal health is closely linked to national food security, economic growth, trade competitiveness, and public health, making veterinary vaccine development a strategic national priority.
The roundtable concluded with a clear message: Nigeria has the market potential, technical expertise, and institutional foundations needed to build a thriving veterinary vaccine industry.
Achieving this vision, however, will require stronger collaboration between government, regulators, researchers, development partners, veterinary professionals, and private investors.
By addressing regulatory barriers, improving disease surveillance, expanding local production, and promoting private sector participation, Nigeria can strengthen animal health systems, improve livestock productivity, and position itself as a regional hub for veterinary vaccine manufacturing and distribution.
