Veterinary Doctors Charged With Skills Upgrade

The President of Veterinary Council of Nigeria, Prof. Gabriel Ogundipe, has expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of service delivery of resident Veterinary Doctors in the country. He called on them to upgrade their skill level so as to meet the ever changing global best practices in the animal health sector.

Decrying the low capacity level of veterinarians in the country at a one-day Continuing Education Programme for the practitioners in Bayelsa State, the council chief maintained that no fewer than 500 veterinary doctors of 3,500 resident doctors attended the annual Continuing Education’ of the council, a development he said should be improved upon.

He said the level of literacy and sophistication that prevails in any profession was a reflection of the quality of continuing education, “for the veterinary profession in Nigeria the level is still not good enough”.

Speaking on the theme of the meeting, “250 years of Modern Veterinary Practice,” Ogundipe noted that the theme was to acquaint members with the origin of veterinary practice which is believed to have originated from France.

The Council Chief further called on the federal government to establish a separate ministry of animal health, production and fishes development so as to govern the affairs of the animal Industry.

He said that such ministry already exist in many northern States and in more than 15 countries in Africa where livestock plays prominent roles in their economies, among them are Cameroon, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Zambia, Sudan, Chad and Mali.

Ogundipe further called on the Balyesa State government to urgently develop livestock production and veterinary services in the State, urging them to develop their fishing industry, snail rearing, micro-livestock and meat hygiene services so as to cope with modern challenges.

He however stressed the need to carry out an impact assessment of previous continuing education programmes to enable them plan better for the future, stressing the need to compile and publish past Seminar Resources.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Bayelsa State, Mr. Blesson Akpuluma, in his welcome address, commended the council for its efforts and commitment towards continual improvement of performance of its members through the upgrade of their educational capability to meet global standard.

Akpuluma however reiterated the commitment of the Balyesa State governor in attaining food security, calling for the need for all hands to be on deck to ensure that such initiative was not jeopardized.
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