The Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN) has vowed to uphold the standards of veterinary practice to combat the increasing prevalence of zoonotic diseases and ensure a wholesome protein intake 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 that standards are maintained at all levels of veterinary practice in Nigeria, so that practitioners can succeed.
He said, “We would ensure standard is followed and we will religiously follow them 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. Adanu, who is also the Vice Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, further emphasised the need to reduce the importation of milk, fish, and meat, stating that the country has all the necessary resources to achieve this feat.
He 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 graduants are PHD holders who have gone through three years of rigorous training, clinicals, lectures, skills acquisition, among others, saying they were awarded after meeting their specifications
He said that the training they have gone through will enable them to meet up with the demands of the industry..
Dr. Moses Arokoyo, the President of the Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association, expressed his happiness at the increasing number of Fellows in the veterinary community.
He said, given the increasing disease burden in Africa, which has reached over $9 billion, there is a need for more specialised personnel in the veterinary field to lead solution-driven efforts.
He further explained that, more than ever before, animal productivity has been significantly impacted by the disease rate.
He also mentioned the increasing rate of antimicrobial resistance in animals, noting that it was previously projected that deaths from the resistance would reach 10 million by 2050, but now it is expected to result in approximately 39 million deaths.
He urged the graduants to position themselves better to handle these challenges and 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 by applying the knowledge they had acquired.
