AN ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT VETERINARY COUNCIL OF NIGERIA (VCN), CP AISHATU ABUBAKAR DVM Ph.D. NPOM ON THE OCCASION COMMEMORATING THE 2020 WORLD VETERINARY DAY ON 25TH APRIL,2020

My Professional Colleagues,

I feel very honoured, delighted and privileged to address you today as the President of our great Council on the occasion commemorating the “2020 World Veterinary Day”.

Let me begin this address by first and foremost appreciating your efforts in ensuring the success of the election as well as our subsequent inauguration by the Hon Minister of Agriculture, Federal Republic of Nigeria. I assure you all that the confidence reposed in our leadership will be jealously guarded to advance the course of the Council. Under our watch, we shall continually strive to move our dear profession forward to the preferred position of pride in the comity of professions in Nigeria.

2.     As you may all be aware, the theme for this year’s commemoration is “Environmental Protection for Improving Animal and Human Health”. This theme is not only apt, it also could not have been crafted at a better time other than now, owing to the reality of the challenge posed by the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic on our very existence and survival. As enshrined in the One World One Health Protocol, and in line with the dictate and content of our professional curriculum, we are indeed a major stakeholder and a critical frontline player in ensuring this deadly viral disease is contained.

3.     My Colleagues, the era of relegating our profession to the background and non-recognition of it as a critical medical sector is coming to an end. Through multi-disciplinary engagements, this challenge is being strategically addressed and I can assure you that our effort is already yielding positive results. In this regard, we did not waste time in advocating the need for Government to recognize and utilize the great potentials the profession can bring on board in the course of National Emergencies such as the current pandemic.

4.     This strategic engagement saw to the inclusion of our profession in the Special Task Forces constituted by Federal Capital Territory Emergency Operating Centre on COVID 19 as approved by the Hon Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.  I am using this medium to call on the Presidential Task-Force on COVID-19, as well as other similar Task-Forces constituted by State Governments across the Federation to follow suit.  The identification and accreditation of one of our Laboratories domiciled at National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) as a testing and diagnostic centre for COVID-19 is another feat that we all should be proud of.

5.    Similarly, in an effort to sustain the food chain supply process of our dear country following the lock-down and restriction of movement announced by the Federal Government, the Council leadership also consulted with relevant security agencies on the need to allow free and uninterrupted services by Veterinary and Veterinary Para professionals which includes free movement of livestock and livestock products, poultry and poultry products, vaccines and medications. Our collective efforts through your mandate, led to the categorization and inclusion of our profession as Essential Service Provider thereby, ensuring seamless discharge of our services and movement of veterinary products across the country; a feat that has never been attained since the advent of our profession in the country.

6.     As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility especially with regards to augmenting the ongoing efforts by the Federal and State Governments in containing this dreaded disease, the Council via online advertisement was able to mobilize about 1000 volunteers who are now ready for training and deployment into several Task-Force Committees on COVID-19 containment across the Country.

7.     To further augment the government efforts on the fight against the pandemic as well as to celebrate the World Veterinary Day, the Council is launching a nationwide decontamination exercise of livestock/live birds markets and other vulnerable veterinary outfits across the Federation, which will be flagged-off tomorrow the 25^th April, 2020 in Abuja, Lagos,  Edo and Kaduna states.

8.     To support this initiative, Council received donations both in cash and kind from the FCT EOC on COVID-19 and other veterinary- related corporate bodies (Animal Care Nigeria Limited, Adamore Nigeria Limited, Amor-Byng Group and Turner Wright Nigeria Limited) across the country which would be judiciously deployed during decontamination exercise. The exhibition of this unmatched patriotism and philanthropic gesture by these corporate bodies will definitely be rewarded by the Almighty God.

9.     As we mark yet another World Veterinary Day, may I reiterate to all of us the duty and responsibility placed on us by the design of our profession which is a call to always bring our services to bare in ensuring the safety of our food animals, the good health of our pets, the safety of our environment and the prevention of zoonotic diseases within the human population. The recent declaration by the World Health Organization that the dreaded COVID-19 virus is likely to be of animal origin has indeed underlined our significance as a critical component in the medical and health sector, in ensuring the safety and health of the planet earth. Therefore, it is a clarion call for more dedication, sacrifice and professional introspection.

10.   As we all know, the measures being emplaced by various governments across the globe towards preventing the spread of the virus includes social and physical distancing. This implies that as front liners in this fight, we are aware of the charge of not congregating to share information, experiences, knowledge, as well as make deliberate advocacies and enlightenment campaigns in projecting the essence and activities of our dear profession in commemoration of the Day. Consequently, I will appeal to all of us to contribute our quota in any possible way at our respective places of abode by bringing our professional competence into utilization for the purpose of defeating this pandemic threatening our collective existence.

11.   In concluding, while assuring you all that the Council shall remain focused and determined in advancing the course and progress of our profession in Nigeria, we are however; open to suggestions, constructive criticisms, ideas and innovations that could help deliver on our mandate. I pray that Almighty God shall protect, guide and sustain us and our families even as we grapple to collectively save our world.

12.   Thank you for listening and God bless.