What investing in veterinary education delivers for Africa’s health and resilience

Early veterinary medicine faculties in The University of Ibadan (1963) and Ahmadu Bello University – ABUVET (1964) formed the foundation of veterinary education in Nigeria.  

ABUVET emerged from an early partnership between Ahmadu Bello University, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and Kansas State University (KSU). Investments in foundational academic staff, laboratory equipment and curriculum development anchored veterinary education in Nigeria on strong international standards, while building national leadership capacity. 

In 1965, additional support from the Government of the Netherlands, through Utrecht University and Dutch Technical Aid (DITA), helped establish the Department of Parasitology and Entomology, further strengthening research and teaching capacity. These partnerships illustrate a critical lesson: effective collaboration empowers institutions, ensuring that investment produces sustainable impact rather than temporary solutions.

Investing in people, facilities, and institutional culture is key to training veterinarians who can tackle challenges across Africa, from disease outbreaks to food security and public health. 

The faculty began graduating veterinarians in 1967, with early cohorts completing pre-clinical training at the University of Ibadan, whose Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was established in 1963. These graduates formed the backbone of Nigeria’s Veterinary Services, contributing to institutions such as National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN), and the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA). 

From federal and state services to research and regulatory agencies, ABUVET graduates have shaped policy, driven innovation, and strengthened Nigeria’s livestock and animal health systems at every level.

Investing in veterinary education isn’t only about training more veterinarians; it’s about enabling professionals to use their skills to make real contributions to institutions, policies, and society. 

Today, Nigeria has 16 faculties of veterinary medicine, 11 of which are fully accredited by the Veterinary Council of Nigeria, with others progressing through accreditation. 

This structured system ensures harmonised curricula, quality assurance, and professional competence—safeguarding animal health, public health, and the integrity of the profession. With over 12,000 registered veterinarians, most trained locally, the country’s sustained investment in veterinary education is evident. 

During my tenure as Chief Veterinary Officer, Nigeria confirmed the first outbreak of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) in 2006, providing a practical test of national veterinary capacity.  

Expertise from nationally and regionally trained veterinarians contributed to response efforts. National response efforts were supported by veterinarians whose training had taken place within Nigeria and the region, alongside international technical assistance.  

This combination of expertise enabled coordinated risk assessment, implementation of control measures, and engagement with affected producers and institutions. 

Among the international experts deployed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to assist Nigeria were two alumni of Ahmadu Bello University—Dr William Amanfu of Ghana and Dr Tesfai Tseggai of Eritrea. 

The intervention and presence of regionally trained experts at that critical moment illustrated a key outcome of
long-term investment of veterinary education in Africa. 

Although these nationally trained experts had their careers established across borders and global institutions, they chose to serve the very systems that had shaped their professional journey. They later described the experience as deeply fulfilling—an opportunity to give back to the institutions and country that had formed their professional foundation and values. As the African proverb wisely states, “However far a stream flows, it never forgets its source.” 

For over sixty years, the case of ABUVET has demonstrated that investing in veterinary education strengthens livestock systems, enhances disease surveillance, advances research, and protects public health. 

Although I did not train at ABUVET, my professional experience within Nigeria’s veterinary sector enabled me to absorb elements of the institution’s professional culture through engagement with its graduates in mentorship, collaboration, and shared practice. 

This culture of rigor, service, and excellence flows across generations and extends beyond Africa through veterinary academics in the diaspora, who continue to shape faculties and mentor the next generation of young veterinarians globally. 

How can we further strengthen veterinary education across the continent? 

In today’s era of accelerating globalisation, sustained progress demands collective action rather than isolated effort. Regional and continental networks such as The African Union – Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) can champion a bold and structured collaboration among African veterinary schools; beginning with strong regional platforms and progressively evolving into a coordinated continental and global network. 

Investing in veterinary education in Africa goes beyond meeting international benchmarks; it is about confronting Africa’s realities: transhumant pastoralism, diverse agro-ecologies, wildlife-livestock interfaces, the blue economy, emerging diseases, climate change, and the urgent need for stronger regional and continental cooperation, as well as global collaboration. 

Done well, investment in veterinary education creates a ripple effect. It strengthens surveillance, food safety, productivity, regulatory systems, and trade. It also supports harmonised standards, cross-border disease control, and coordinated responses to transboundary threats. 

Investing in veterinary education is, therefore, an investment in animal health, food security, public health, economic integration, shared prosperity, and Africa’s sustainable future.