FG Commissions Tse-tse fly Treatment Centre in Gombe
Chima Azubuike, Gombe
Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, on Friday inaugurated Nigerian Institute of Trypanosomiasis and (Onchocerciasis) Research (NITR) North-East zone, in Gombe state.
Onu said the institute will help address the challenges posed by Trypanosomiasis to animal health in the zone.
According to him, the effort of the Federal Government in setting up the research centre is to ensure that the standard of living of peasant and livestock farmers in the six states of the zone is improved.
He stated that it was important to control tsetse fly in the zone will improve the quality of livestock which will translate to increase in yields in terms of meat and milk and other derivatives from livestock.
The minister added that the major reason for setting up NITR was to increase the income of livestock farmers which according to him would also boost the economies of states under the zone and that of the country.
“The Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari is working to ensure that we are able to help our livestock farmers so that if we establish livestock ranches, those ranches can be free from tsetse fly.
“If we are unable to control tsetse flies there is no way we can have ranches; if you put cows and other animals in one place and they have tsetse flies around them, it’s like leaving them defenceless,” he said.
Onu added that the NITR zonal office will be of great service to the remaining five states as it will serve the best interest of the nation especially in contributing to food security.
On his part, Gombe state governor Inuwa Yahaya, said the institute will impact positively on the lives of the people of the state.
Yahaya noted that since over 70 per cent of the people of the state are peasant farmers involved in either crop or livestock production, any effort made to improve their vocation will always be welcomed by the state government.
He said, “When NITR approached me for a land to build this structure, I gave it instant approval and they equally responded instantly and you can see the result here today.
“The fact that the Federal Government approved the take off of the National Livestock Transformation project in Gombe- the Wawa-zange game reserve, and with this institute our people’s means of livelihood will be enhanced.”
