FG sets up 21 model veterinary hospitals to transform Nigerian livestock sector
By Boye Oyeyemi
In a major drive to boost livestock production and safeguard food security, the Federal Government has established 21 model veterinary hospitals across the country.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, revealed the initiative on Friday during the official inauguration of one of the modern facilities in Ondo town, Ondo State.
Funded through the World Bank-supported Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project, these state-of-the-art hospitals aim to reposition the national livestock industry for sustainable economic growth and job creation.
Expanding on the initiative, Maiha stated that the government intends to extend the project to the remaining 15 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with the ultimate ambition of placing a functional veterinary clinic in every local government area.
Addressing critical operational deficits, the minister highlighted that Nigeria’s current ratio of one veterinary doctor to 10,000 animals is starkly inadequate and demands immediate intervention to combat disease outbreaks, limit zoonotic infections, and meet global meat export standards.
Echoing these operational goals, the National Project Coordinator of L-PRES, Dr. Sanusi Abubakar, noted that bringing professional healthcare directly to rural farmers will significantly enhance livestock production, processing, and downstream marketing opportunities.
Formally welcoming the project, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, represented by Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Leye Akinola, commended the Federal Government while urging local farmers and stakeholders to fully leverage the facility to boost commercial earnings.
Underscoring local grassroots commitment, the Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom, Oba Victor Kiladejo, pledged the community’s total support for maintaining the new hospital, alongside complementary regional projects that include an artificial insemination centre in Akure and high-capacity solar-powered boreholes across local farm settlements.
