The Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), has called on all state governments in the federation to provide lands for private veterinary clinics and hospitals to safeguard public health.
The association said provision of such lands is to avoid having practicing premises within shopping malls and markets due to public health risks associated with it.
It made the call in a communique issued at the end of its 59th Annual General Meeting (AGM), held in Lagos from October 30 to November 3 in Abuja.
The theme of the AGM was “The changing spectrum of the global economy and the need for professions to align with global realities”.
The communique quoted The President of the association, Dr Oluwatoyin Adetuberu as encouraging members to take their place in the fore front of public health to ensure food safety and sustain the bond between humans and animals.
She advised them to leverage on emerging opportunities to tackle new challenges.
The association commended the Federal Government for the construction of three Veterinary Medical Centres in the FCT, Gombe and Kano States as well as the building of primary animal health centres in 34 states of the federation.
It further appealed to the government to extend the construction of Veterinary Medical Centres to other geopolitical regions of the country.
The communique called on governments at all levels to create an enabling environment for the practice of veterinary medicine, particularly for young veterinarians, by providing grants and loans.
“We call on governments at all levels, particularly in places with low man power in the animal health sub-sector, to, as a matter of urgency, employ veterinary doctors to boost the animal health care delivery system.
“The Federal government should, as a matter of priority, put in place structures for the commencement of houseman ship for vet graduates in order to sharpen their skills in the diagnosis and management of animals and zoonotic diseases.
“We call on governments to support surveillance on transboundary, emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases,” it recommended.
The communique quoted The Governor of Lagos state, Mr Babajide Sanwu-Olu the Chief Host, as calling for collaboration among stakeholders in the livestock sub-sector to combat the challenges affecting food security in Nigeria in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Sanwu-Olu, represented by the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Ruth Olusanya, said climate change increased outbreaks of transboundary animal diseases, emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases, natural disasters, insecurity and persistent farmer/herder clashes in sub-Saharan Africa, as threats to food security.
Sanwo-Olu encourage the veterinary profession to partner with the government in Lagos where the highest consumers of livestock in Nigeria are based.
The communique also quoted the keynote speaker, Dr Ken Opara, Chairman, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), as having identified veterinarians as safeguarding the health and welfare of animals.
According to him, this could be achieved through data sharing for economic growth, digitization of veterinary activities through tele-medicine and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in diagnosis and treatment of animal diseases.
He said veterinary laboratories should be supported for quick diagnosis of zoonotic diseases that will enhance public health.
