The Federal Government has constructed 21 model veterinary hospitals across 21 states to improve animal healthcare, strengthen food security and increase livestock productivity.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, disclosed this on Friday during the inauguration of one of the facilities in Ondo Town, Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Maiha said the hospitals, established under the World Bank-supported Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project, were designed to reposition the livestock sector as a major contributor to economic growth, employment generation and sustainable livelihoods.
He said the initiative was a priority for President Bola Tinubu, adding that the government planned to extend similar interventions to the remaining 15 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“These hospitals are dear to President Tinubu, with plans to extend similar interventions to the remaining 15 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“Very soon, every local government will have one fully functional veterinary clinic.
“Mr President’s directive is that veterinary services should be running after the farmers, stay ahead of the farmer’s needs, and not the other way round,” the minister said.
He added that the government was working to make veterinary services accessible beyond government establishments, particularly in areas where livestock production and commercial activities take place.
The minister urged state governments to strengthen their veterinary workforce by recruiting and deploying more veterinarians and other animal health professionals.
Maiha expressed concern over the shortage of veterinary doctors in the country, noting that the current ratio of one veterinarian to 10,000 animals was inadequate.
“Today we have one veterinary doctor to 10,000 animals. That is not acceptable. We must reduce the number.
“We want good meat. We want healthy meat. We also want to access the international red meat market. We must reduce our disease burden and control all zoonotic diseases,” he said.
Earlier, the National Project Coordinator of L-PRES, Dr Sanusi Abubakar, said the facilities were established to expand access to quality veterinary services and bring professional animal healthcare closer to livestock farmers.
He explained that the project was being implemented through national and state coordination offices to improve livestock production, animal healthcare and marketing.
Abubakar described the modern livestock market inaugurated alongside the hospital as a strategic investment in the livestock value chain, saying it would create economic opportunities for farmers, transporters and processors.
Also speaking, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, commended the Federal Government for the initiative, describing it as evidence of effective collaboration between the two tiers of government in developing the livestock sector.
The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Mr Leye Akinola, urged farmers, traders and other stakeholders to maximise the opportunities provided by the veterinary hospital and the modern livestock market.
He said the facilities would stimulate commercial activities, improve market access and expand economic opportunities for livestock farmers and residents of the host community.
The Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom, Oba Victor Kiladejo, also praised the Federal Government for locating the facility in the town, assuring that measures would be put in place to ensure its proper maintenance.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the minister also inaugurated other L-PRES projects in Ondo State, including an artificial insemination centre in Akure.
Other facilities commissioned included a 50,000-litre-capacity solar-powered borehole with a water trough at Asejere Farm Settlement in Ile-Oluji Local Government Area.
The minister also inaugurated Phase One and Phase Two of a similar 50,000-litre solar-powered borehole project with a water trough at the Adofure Pig Cluster in Akure.
