The Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN) has vowed to uphold standards of veterinary practice to fight increasing zoonotic diseases and ensure wholesome intake of protein in the country.
The VCN President, Prof. Matthew Adams, stated this while speaking at the 5th Convocation and 7th Investiture ceremony of about 205 fellows of the College of Veterinary Surgeons, Nigeria. He said the council is poised to ensure standards are maintained at all levels of veterinary practice in Nigeria so that they can succeed.
He said, “We would ensure standard is followed and we will religiously follow it so that we will have quality veterinarians and professionals that will be able to fight zoonotic diseases within the one health space and ensure that there is quality protein.”
Prof. Adams, who is also the Cave Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, further harped on the need to reduce the importation of milk, fish, and meat, saying the country has all the necessary resources to attain the feat.
He, however, tasked the awardees to play a critical role in the livestock transformation of the current administration, saying the Fellows are being called to a higher responsibility.
The Acting Provost of the Post Graduate College of Veterinary Surgeons, Nigeria, Prof. Adanu Hassan, disclosed that most of the graduates are PhD holders who have gone through 3 years of rigorous training, clinicals, lectures, skills acquisition among others, saying they were awarded after meeting up with their specifications. He said that the rigours they have gone through will enable them to meet up with the demands of the industry. Dr. Moses Arokoyo, the President of Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association, expressed his happiness at the increasing number of Fellows in the veterinary community.
He said given the increased disease burden in Africa that has reached over $9 billion, hence the need for more specialised personnel in the veterinary field to lead solution-driving. He further explained that more than ever before, animal productivity has been impacted due to disease rate, saying before, Nigeria was talking about a $33 trillion livestock industry, and so if more animals are affected by diseases, it will have a major impact on the situation on the ground. He also mentioned the increasing rate of antimicrobial resistance in animals, saying before they projected that deaths from this resistance would hit 10 million by 2050, but now it’s about 39 million deaths. Hence the need to graduate more professionals in the industry so as to ensure a better positioning to handle these challenges and to align with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Also speaking, Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, said the Ministry has developed a National Livestock Roadmap, aimed at transforming Nigeria’s livestock sector. Maiha, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Chinyere Akujobi, explained that the Roadmap has 10 pillars, adding that it is part of a broader effort to improve productivity, resilience, and commercialisation of livestock value chains.
The Acting Provost of the Post Graduate College of Veterinary Surgeons, Nigeria, Prof. Adanu Hassan, disclosed that most of the graduates are PhD holders who have gone through 3 years of rigorous training, clinicals, lectures, skills acquisition among others, saying they were awarded after meeting up with their specifications. He said that the rigours they have gone through will enable them to meet up with the demands of the industry. Dr. Moses Arokoyo, the President of Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association, expressed his happiness at the increasing number of Fellows in the veterinary community.
He said given the increased disease burden in Africa that has reached over $9 billion, hence the need for more specialised personnel in the veterinary field to lead solution-driving. He further explained that more than ever before, animal productivity has been impacted due to disease rate, saying before, Nigeria was talking about a $33 trillion livestock industry, and so if more animals are affected by diseases, it will have a major impact on the situation on the ground. He also mentioned the increasing rate of antimicrobial resistance in animals, saying before they projected that deaths from this resistance would hit 10 million by 2050, but now it’s about 39 million deaths. Hence the need to graduate more professionals in the industry so as to ensure a better positioning to handle these challenges and to align with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Also speaking, Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, said the Ministry has developed a National Livestock Roadmap, aimed at transforming Nigeria’s livestock sector. Maiha, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Chinyere Akujobi, explained that the Roadmap has 10 pillars, adding that it is part of a broader effort to improve productivity, resilience, and commercialisation of livestock value chains.
The minister, therefore, challenged the awardees to collaborate with the ministry to reposition the livestock sector through the application of the knowledge acquired.
