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The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has constructed 35 Primary Animal Health Centres (PAHC) in all the states, including the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, and as well established three Federal Veterinary Medical Centres (FVMCs), one each in the six geopolitical zones, to enhance livestock resources and development.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, disclosed this on Tuesday at the 60th National Congress of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) held in Jos, Plateau.
According to him, 35 PAHCs have been completed, equipped, and handed over to states, adding that approval has also been granted access to the Federal Veterinary Medical Centres in Kano, FCT and Gombe by the Veterinary Teaching Hospitals (VTHs) in Bayero University Kano, University of Abuja, and the Gombe State Government to improve access to quality animal healthcare services delivery.
He pointed out all the efforts are geared towards the provision of wholesome and safe meat for human consumption, while the ministry has also renovated 19 abattoirs/slaughterhouses across the country and provided cold meat vans to 36 states and FCT to ensure that.
A meat haulage system is ideal for transportation of meat to markets in a wholesome and hygienic manner.
“Through the support of World Bank-initiated projects, we have commenced the modernisation of the equipment at NVRI. Hopefully, in 2025, the institute will operate at full capacity with modern equipment, enhanced diagnostic capacity, motivated staff, and greater opportunities to produce a target of 850 million doses of assorted livestock vaccines per year, to meet the increasing demands for preventive veterinary medicine.
“Using the vaccines produced at the NVRI, we have been able to effectively control outbreaks of Anthrax in Niger and Lagos states as well as outbreak of hemorrhagic septicaemia in Taraba state (Mambila Plateau, Sardauna Local Government Area)”.
The Minister further added that the Ministry has to mobilise resources, procure chemicals, equipment, and conducted aerial control of transboundary agricultural pests (TAPs) in 12 frontline states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Taraba, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara to promote food security.
In his address, the president of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), Dr. Moses Arokoyo, stated that 75 percent of re-emerging diseases originate from animals, adding that statistics speak to the fact that 2.5 billion cases of human diseases are zoonotic, with 2.7 million deaths annually attributed to the same.
The NVMA president mentioned that veterinarians have been propelled by the sheer realities of the present world to the forefront of public health not by selfish or ill-motivated innuendos but so positioned by the professional training received in its originality.
“There is no public health or safety without considerations for the veterinary component. The echoes of zoonoses have beckoned to One-Health as a global best practice, and as such, veterinarians have undoubtedly become the gatekeepers of public health and safety.”
He, therefore, called on the government to provide an enabling environment for veterinary professionals to be at the forefront of shaping national policy on animal health and production.
Dr Arokoyo commended state governments, especially Bauchi, Yobe, and Borno, for recognising the importance of veterinarians and so employing professionals in the sector, amongst other worthy actions, adding that their leadership serves as a model for other states to follow.
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