President, Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), Dr Moses Arokoya, has said that 65 per cent of human diseases in Nigeria were Zoonotic (livestock related).

Arokoya made the declaration on Monday at the 61 Annual National Congress/ Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the NVMA holding in Jalingo.

He noted that zoonotic diseases were on the increase in Nigeria, adding that 2.7 million lives were globally lost annually due to zoonotic diseases.

He said that the choice of Taraba for the conference was strategic, nothing that a Disease Free Zone (DFZ) was to be established on the Mambilla Plateau.

The president added that the eradication of diseases from Mambilla Plateau would lead to production of large metric tones of fresh meat.

Arokoya said that more DFZ were needed in the country to make livestock production an economic stimulus.

The president further decried the state of abbatoirs in Nigeria, adding that poor abbatoirs have enhanced microbial resistance as most Nigerians consume drugs used in the treatment of livestock before they were slaughtered.

He said that modern abbatoirs were needed in the 774 local government areas to address the menace.

He commented President Bola Tinubu for the reforms in the livestock sector, adding that the veterinarians needed an empowerment from the federal government.

Arokoya also requested the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to include them on their disaster intervention Policy.

He stressed the need to include veterinarians in the preparedness and response strategies for emergencies.