FG unveils model veterinary hospital in Ekiti

The Minister of Livestock Development, Mukhtar Maiha, has reiterated the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to reforms and developments that will stimulate growth across all sectors, including livestock productivity.

Maiha said the administration was also committed to bridging the service gap in the delivery of quality animal health services across the country, in view of its importance to the health of the nation and economic development.

The minister spoke in Ado Ekiti on Thursday during the inauguration of a Model Veterinary Hospital constructed by the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), a World Bank-assisted programme, for public use.

He also used the visit to the state to tour the Ikun Dairy Farm, Ikun-Ekiti; the ultramodern dual-function abattoir and commercial cattle market along Iworoko Road, Ado Ekiti; the Livestock Development Centre, Erifun, Ado Ekiti; and the Poultry Hub, Emure-Ekiti.

He charged veterinarians that as the hospital had been equipped with the necessary personnel, drugs and equipment, “client satisfaction and consequent reduction in the state livestock disease burden should continue to be your topmost priority and that no livestock owner should leave this premises without the right prescription drugs for addressing his challenges.”

He described the hospital as a facility designed to stimulate productivity in the livestock sector in Ekiti State and an institution meant to bridge the service gap in the delivery of quality animal health services, not only in the state but across the country.

Maiha, who restated his ministry’s commitment to an enduring legacy of cutting-edge infrastructural development, said, “These bold reforms are necessary for industrial and sectoral growth in line with the best global practices and the demand for 21st century animal health service delivery.”

He commended the Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, for his commitment to the success of the L-PRES project in the state, saying, “Your support has yielded beautiful results to the benefit of the state.”

The minister, who urged the training and retraining of personnel at the hospital, cautioned, “Please ensure the judicious use and maintenance of the facility for our benefit and the benefit of our children coming after us.”

The L-PRES National Coordinator, Dr Sanusi Abubakar, said the hospital in Ado Ekiti was one of 21 prototype model veterinary hospitals built and equipped across 21 states. He described it as “a step towards transforming the livestock sector, particularly around veterinary healthcare delivery.”

Abubakar said, “The facility is equipped with essential facilities to support the commencement of operations and provides adequate space and an enabling environment for veterinary professionals and other animal health personnel to deliver a range of veterinary services and specialised care.”

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He said the facility would provide improved access to modern and professional veterinary services for livestock farmers, particularly smallholder producers whose livelihoods depend on cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, piggery and other livestock.

“Through timely disease diagnosis, treatment, preventive healthcare and other veterinary interventions, the hospital will contribute to reducing livestock morbidity and mortality, minimising avoidable economic losses and improving the overall productivity of the livestock sector,” the national coordinator said.

Abubakar called on the state government, Ekiti people, veterinary professionals, livestock associations, pastoral communities, traditional institutions and all other stakeholders to take ownership of the facility, and to use and maintain it effectively “so that it can continue to deliver quality veterinary services and serve generations of livestock farmers.”

The Ekiti State L-PRES Coordinator, Yinka Adedipe, who reiterated the commitment to strengthening livestock production and improving access to animal healthcare services, said the intervention was meant to boost productivity, build farmers’ capacity and create investment opportunities.

He lauded Oyebanji for supporting the project and praised Abubakar and Maiha for their commitment to livestock development.

Oyebanji, represented by his Chief of Staff, Niyi Adebayo, said the hospital was part of the state government’s investment in animal health, food security and the development of a commercially viable livestock industry.

Adebayo said the administration was implementing interventions to strengthen veterinary services, improve livestock infrastructure, expand extension services, build farmers’ capacity and attract private investment into the sector.

“Ekiti State is also developing a poultry hub at the Livestock Development Centre in Erifun and expanding poultry production through a comprehensive development programme with proposed clusters in Emure, Ikole and Igede-Ekiti,” he said.

He added that the government was constructing a semi-automated poultry processing plant with the capacity to process 1,500 birds daily, to reduce the risks and costs associated with transporting live birds over long distances.

He noted that the facility would provide processing and value-addition services to poultry farmers, create employment and improve the quality of poultry products.

The National Vice-President of the Sheep and Goat Development Association, Alhaji Bello Elias, and the Chairman of the Pig Farmers Association in Ekiti State, Pastor Albert Aribisin, commended the federal and state governments for the initiative.