WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/637 
23 February 2006 
 
 (06-0773) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
CURRENT SPS MEASURES REGARDING THE 
AVIAN INFLUENZA SITUATION 
 
Communication from Nigeria
 
 
 
 The following communication, received on 21 Fe bruary 2006, is being circulated at the 
request of the Delegation of Nigeria.  
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 1. The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria hereby notifies the WTO SPS Committee 
on the current measures being taken in response to th e avian influenza situation in the country.  The 
highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) was diagnosed at Sambawa Farms, Kaduna, on 
7 February 2006 as being responsible for the massive  mortality of birds on the farm.  The disease has 
also been confirmed in some poultry farms in Kano and Plateau States. 
2. The Government of the Federal Republic of Ni geria is working very closely with the Food 
and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).  The UN 
agencies have called on Nigeria's neighbouring countri es, namely, Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, 
as well as Ghana and Togo to immediately incr ease surveillance measures and stop trans-border 
movement and trade of poultry and poultry products , in order to contain the spread of the highly 
pathogenic avian influenza.  The Government of th e Federal Republic of Nigeria has also mobilized 
veterinary staff to tighten border inspections and control. 
3. On the advice of the FAO and OIE, the Nigerian veterinary authorities have, inter alia : 
(a) immediately closed down all poultry mark ets in Kaduna and Kano States, including 
the neighbouring regions, to prevent further spread of the deadly bird flu virus; 
(b) immediately stopped the movement of poultry in order to contain the disease, with 
people required not to import or trade livestock or livestock products, including 
poultry; 
(c) commenced the use of only vaccines that fu lfil OIE international quality standards; 
(d) embarked on other priority measures, including appropriate culling respecting OIE 
standards in and around the outbreak zon es, ring vaccination around infected areas, 
the control of people and livestock moving to and from the outbreak zones, thorough disinfection, hygiene and good farming practices;  and 
(e) initiated arrangements for compensation of farmers for livestock losses caused by the 
disease and culling, in order to encourage early disease reporting. G/SPS/GEN/637 
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  4. The FAO and OIE have welcomed the emergenc y measures being applied by the Government 
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in and around th e outbreak zones.  Howeve r, they have stressed 
that the existing control measures n eed to be strengthened and intens ified by applying standard FAO 
procedures and the recommended OIE international gui delines.  In addition, veterinary staff and 
technicians working in outbreak areas and laboratories should wear protective clothing.  A joint 
FAO/OIE mission is expected in Ni geria to reinforce the FAO veteri nary team already on the ground.  
The World Health Organization (WHO) is also expect ed to determine the technical needs that could 
facilitate better health, particularly to prevent a nd avoid the transmission of the infection from animals 
to humans. 
5. In the meantime, honourable Minister of Agri culture and Rural Development, Mallam Adamu 
Bello, has briefed the international community and donor agencies on the outbreak of avian influenza 
in the country.  The FAO and the US Department  of Agriculture are shipping over 1,000 sets of 
protective clothing to Nigeria.  However, in view of Nigeria's focal position, with above 45 per cent of 
the total livestock population in West Africa, the di sease could become a regional problem if it is not 
contained in the country.  The Government of the Fe deral Republic of Nigeria, therefore, needs urgent 
financial and technical assistance to combat the pr oblem.  The specific areas of technical assistance 
may include, but are not limited to laboratories a nd equipment for veterinary evaluation, testing, 
certification and labelling, as well as protective clot hing, animal and human vaccines, and curative 
medicines.  Financial assistance should be in grant form rather than debt – creating assistance, more 
so as the country has just come out of a debt – rescheduling arrangement with the Paris Club of 
creditors.  The financial support would largely be u sed to pay compensation to farms that have been 
affected by the disease. 
6. In response to this notification to the SPS Committee, the Government of the Federal 
Republic of Nigeria would be grateful for specific commitments of concrete financial and technical 
assistance, which would also be notified to all Members of the SPS Committee. 
7. There are no reports yet of the transmissi on of the H5N1 virus to humans.  The only 
complaint from a farmer regarding his child ren who are sick and coughing blood is being 
investigated.  The children are to be examined to diagnose th e nature of their ailment. 
8. For further information, contact: 
(i) The Honourable Minister 
  Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development   Area 11 Secretariat 
  Garki – Abuja 
  N i g e r i a    Tel:  +234 9 314   Fax:  +234 9 314  
(ii) The Honourable Minister 
  Federal Ministry of Commerce   Area 1 Secretariat   Garki – Abuja   Tel:  +234 9 234 1884   Fax:  +234 9 234 1541 
  E-mail:  OHMCommerce@naijanet.com  G/SPS/GEN/637 
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(iii) The Ambassador to WTO 
  Permanent Mission of Nigeria   Nigeria Trade Office   Rue Richard Wagner 1 
  Geneva 
  Switzerland   Tel:  +41 22 733 1000   Fax:  +41 22 733 1080   E-mail:  nigtrudeoffice@naijanet.com 
 
 
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