Agriculture
FG Unveils Comprehensive Plan to Transform Livestock Sector, Inducts 205 New Veterinary Fellows
The Federal Government has unveiled a far-reaching plan to revitalise Nigeria’s livestock sector, with measures including the creation of climate-resilient grazing reserves, expansion of veterinary health infrastructure, and enhancement of community-based animal health services.
Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, announced the strategy in Abuja during the Convocation and 7th Investiture Ceremony of new Fellows of the Postgraduate College of Veterinary Surgeons of Nigeria.
In his keynote address, Professor Abdulkadir Junaid of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, called for universal animal immunisation nationwide and the adoption of digital disease reporting systems to improve monitoring and response.
President of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria and Acting Vice Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, Professor Mathew Adamu, urged the newly inducted fellows to play active roles in driving the nation’s livestock transformation agenda. Acting Registrar of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria, Dr. Oladotun Fadipe, said the additional 205 fellows would boost animal health services and, by extension, strengthen public health.
Acting Provost of the Postgraduate College of Veterinary Surgeons of Nigeria, Professor Adamu Zoaka, highlighted the rigorous selection process for fellows, noting that their intensive training had built the discipline and resilience required in veterinary practice.
Interim Secretary of the Postgraduate College, Dr. Helen Ego Oputa-Chime, encouraged the fellows to be proactive in improving professional standards, stressing resilience and perseverance amid the growing disease burden on the continent.
President of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, Dr. Moses Arokoyo, underscored the rising threat of zoonotic diseases and emphasised the urgent need for more specialists to address these emerging challenges.
