The Federal Government has intensified efforts to protect Nigeria’s pig industry from the growing threat of African Swine Fever, a highly contagious livestock disease.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, says the government is strengthening biosecurity measures, disease surveillance, and stakeholder collaboration to prevent the spread of the disease and safeguard livestock production nationwide.

Speaking during a technical presentation on the status of African Swine Fever in Nigeria, the Minister commended the Chief Veterinary Officer of the Federation, Dr. Yakubu Yanet Ago, for sharing lessons from a recent study visit to Denmark.

He said that the experiences gained from the visit would help Nigeria develop practical solutions to livestock health challenges and improve preparedness against disease outbreaks.

Maiha highlighted Denmark’s pig traceability and compensation system, where every pig is tracked from birth and farmers contribute to a dedicated fund that provides compensation during disease outbreaks.

According to him, such a model encourages early disease reporting, strengthens transparency, and could be adapted to support Nigeria’s livestock sector.

The Minister also pointed to Denmark’s strict biosecurity measures, including mandatory disinfection of vehicles transporting pigs and controls to prevent contact with wild animals.

He stressed that biosecurity should be viewed as an investment rather than a burden, noting that strict movement controls and farm access restrictions have proven effective in containing disease outbreaks.

To strengthen disease prevention, the Minister directed relevant departments to map livestock movement routes, identify major pig markets and commercial farms, improve animal traceability systems, and deepen collaboration with pig farmers, state governments, and development partners.

He also called for stronger surveillance systems, improved laboratory capacity, and greater investment in veterinary research.

In his remarks, the Chief Veterinary Officer of the Federation, Dr. Yakubu Yanet Ago, described African Swine Fever as a devastating viral disease with mortality rates of up to one hundred percent and revealed that outbreaks have been recorded in about twelve states.

He revealed that the Federal Government’s response focuses on improved surveillance, farmer education, and stronger biosecurity, while urging greater cooperation among all tiers of government, increased funding, and alignment with international disease control strategies to achieve long-term eradication of the disease.

Data obtained from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) showed that electricity distribution companies (DisCos) earned a total of N801.16 billion from consumers between January and April 2026.

This was despite persistent power outages and supply constraints across the country.

The commercial performance factsheets released by the regulator showed that the 11 DisCos collected N204.74bn in January, N196.68bn in February, N196.13bn in March and N203.61bn in April, bringing total revenue for the four-month period to N801.16bn.

The collections came even as households and businesses endured months of unstable electricity supply caused largely by gas shortages that crippled power generation and forced widespread load shedding, especially in February and March.

In the NERC data, the DisCos billed customers N1.01tn between January and April but recovered N801.16bn, leaving about N207.77bn in uncollected revenue during the period.

BUA Group has firmly dismissed online reports claiming that the conglomerate and its Chairman, Abdul Samad Rabiu, submitted a bid to acquire a 70% stake in Kano Pillars Football Club.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, the company described the publication as inaccurate and misleading.

PRESS STATEMENT

Re: False Claims of Bid to Acquire Stake in Kano Pillars Football Club

Our attention has been drawn to an online publication suggesting that BUA Group and its Chairman, Abdul Samad Rabiu, have submitted a bid to acquire a 70% stake in Kano Pillars Football Club.

We would like to clarify that this report is inaccurate and does not reflect any position, action, or communication from BUA Group or Abdul Samad Rabiu. No such bid has been made, and there has been no engagement with any party on this matter.

We kindly request that this report be disregarded, and we encourage the public and members of the press to rely only on official statements issued through BUA Group’s verified channels for accurate information regarding our activities.

We appreciate the continued interest in BUA Group and thank the public for their understanding.

BUA Group reiterated its commitment to transparency and urged stakeholders to verify information through its official communication channels.