The Minister of State, Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, says the Federal Government has commenced the modernisation of equipment at the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) to boost vaccine production.
Abdullahi stated this on Tuesday at the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) 60th Annual Congress/2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Jos.
The minister, who was represented by Dr Columba Vakuru, Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria (CVON), said modernisation of the institute was through the support of World Bank-initiated projects.
He expressed optimism that by 2025 the NVRI would operate at full capacity with modern equipment, enhanced diagnostic capacity, and greater opportunities.
Abdullahi said that it targets 850 million doses of assorted livestock vaccines annually to meet the increasing demands for preventive veterinary medicine.
The minister further said that the FG, in a bid to ensure the provision of wholesome and safe meat for human consumption, has renovated 19 abattoirs/slaughterhouses across the country.
Abdullahi further said the FG also provided cold meat vans to 36 states, inclusive of the FCT, to ensure that meat haulage to the markets was done in a wholesome and hygienic manner.
Abdullahi said to enhance livestock resource development in the country, the ministry has constructed Primary Animal Health Centres (PAHC) in all the states of the Federation and the FCT.
According to him, 35 of the PAHCs had been completed, equipped, and handed over to the states.
Abdullahi said that as a means of combating Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) which is a global threat to public health and food security, the federal government launched the OneHealth Antimicrobial Resistance National Action Plan (NAP).
The minister urged the participants of the conference to share experiences and exchange knowledge with the aim of providing the necessary synergy between the public and private sectors.
According to him, sharing knowledge was necessary in the control of livestock diseases, especially the Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs) in the country.
He assured the association of the federal government’s commitment to strengthening effective collaboration with all stakeholders.
NVMA National President, Dr Moses Arokoyo, said that the conference would provide the participants with apt knowledge on ways of using artificial intelligence to bridge the gap between the old and current practices and veterinary medicine.
Arokoyo said that such knowledge played an integral role in one’s health to tackle the re-emergence of zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance.
Arokoyo commended the federal government for creating the Ministry of Livestock Development.
He appealed to the federal government to reinstate the veterinary council for funding by the federal government.
“We appeal that the Veterinary Council be reinstated into the funding of the Federal Government.
“With no funding, quackery in different shades and colours will increasingly become the order of the day,” he appealed.
The keynote address was delivered by the Global Coordinator of Biotrust and Executive Director of the Malaysian Biotech Information Centre, Dr Mahaletchumy Arijanan.
The title NVMA Annual Congress/2024 AGM is entitled “A Century of Veterinary Service Delivery in Nigeria; Opportunities for Artificial Intelligence in National Food Security.”
NAN
