Veterinarians in Nigeria have expressed delight over the pronouncement recently made by President Bola Tinubu on creation of the Livestock Development Ministry out of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
The veterinarians said this development will not only address the lingering crisis between farmers and herdsmen but also lead to robust economy from the livestock subsector which they said has great potential.
Speaking with journalists at the 10th anniversary of the Kubwa Vet Forum in Abuja, the Chairman Kubwa Vet Forum Michael Ezea, said a long time, veterinarians have been advocating for a specialised ministry to take care of livestock production.
“The creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development is a welcome development, because we at Vet, have always advocated the creation of a department of animal health and production.
“So, the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development will reduce the farmer/herders’ clashes, and because of the fight against food insecurity, we believe that when the ministry kicks off and it is managed very well, the animal sector which we believe will contribute immensely to the GDP of the country and the same time curb food insecurity if it is managed well.
“That is why we believe that the creation of the Ministry of Livestock will be a very good one, and we as veterinarians, are even asking for more, we want a Ministry that will be manned separately by the veterinarians that will take care of animal health because we keep on talking about zoonotic diseases, and it accounts for 75 percent of human diseases”, he noted.
He explained that the Kubwa Vet Forum comprises of Veterinarians who work and reside in Kubwa. He said it is a sub-group of Nigerian Veterinary and Medical Association (NVMA) Federal Capital Territory Chapter.
Also, the Acting Registrar, Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN) Dr Fadipe Oladotun, said livestock industry in Nigeria if properly managed will turn around the fortune of the country’s economy.
“It was very big excitement for me when I heard that the government had created the Ministry of Livestock Development. Apparently, for a very long time, that desire has been there that this ministry will be created. One thing that we have not paid critical attention to in our country is the fact that we are sitting on a goldmine when it comes to livestock.
“Livestock is what will turn the fortune of this country if properly harnessed, and I think creating that Ministry will bring it to the fore to ensure that the right thing is done. For us as veterinarians we know very well that there is no way you can talk about livestock without having a lot of recourse to us,” he added.
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