FG Unveils Roadmap to Transform Livestock Sector, Inducts 205 New Veterinary Fellows

By our Correspondent

The Federal Government has launched a comprehensive plan to revitalise Nigeria’s livestock sector, with key initiatives including the creation of climate-resilient grazing reserves, expansion of veterinary health infrastructure, and strengthening of community-based animal health services.

Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, disclosed this in Abuja at the Convocation and 7th Investiture Ceremony of new Fellows of the Postgraduate College of Veterinary Surgeons of Nigeria. He was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi.

Alhaji Maiha expressed confidence that the induction of 205 new fellows would inject fresh expertise into President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the livestock sector.

Delivering the keynote address, Professor Abdulkadir Junaid of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, called for universal animal immunisation nationwide and the adoption of a digital reporting system to improve disease surveillance 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 strategic roles in advancing the country’s livestock transformation agenda.

Also speaking, Acting Registrar of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria, Dr. Oladotun Fadipe, noted that the addition of the new fellows would greatly enhance animal health services and, in turn, boost public health across the nation.

Acting Provost of the Postgraduate College of Veterinary Surgeons of Nigeria, Professor Adamu Zoaka, outlined the rigorous criteria for the fellowship, stressing that the intensive training had equipped the graduates with discipline and resilience to tackle veterinary challenges.

Interim Secretary of the Postgraduate College, Dr. Helen Ego Oputa-Chime, urged the fellows to be proactive in raising professional standards, stressing the importance of resilience and perseverance in addressing the continent’s rising disease burden.

President of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, Dr. Moses Arokoyo, also underscored the urgent need for more specialists to manage the growing threat of zoonotic diseases in the country.