The Nigerian Association of Animal Health and Husbandry Technologists (NAAHHT) has pledged its support to the Federal Government through the Ministry of Livestock Development in the area of primary animal healthcare, livestock improvement, artificial insemination, meat inspection, public health, antimicrobial resistance prevention and control of transboundary animal diseases.
President of the association, Mr Kazeem Akingboye, stated this when he led other executive members on a courtesy visit to the Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, in Abuja.
Akingboye commended the minister for his proactive leadership, multilateral partnerships, foreign investments and initiatives aimed at transforming Nigeria’s livestock sector and increasing its contribution to the national economy.
He reaffirmed NAAHHT’s readiness to support government programmes through its over 40,000 Animal Health and Husbandry Technologists across the 36 states and FCT. He drew the minister’s attention to challenges affecting its members, including employment and effective utilisation of trained animal health and livestock personnel.
In his response, the minister appreciated NAAHHT for its support and commitment to government policies and emphasised that human capacity is central to the transformation of Nigeria’s livestock sector.
He noted that veterinarians, animal health technologists, inseminators, animal husbandry professionals, superintendents and other technical personnel are essential to the success of the emerging livestock infrastructure.
He encouraged NAAHHT members to remain committed, professionally competent and prepared for the expanding responsibilities and opportunities within the sector.
The minister highlighted key government interventions, including the construction of model veterinary hospitals across the country with modern diagnostic and imaging facilities; expansion of veterinary services to grassroots communities; establishment of solar-powered cold-chain facilities; revamping of the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI); and substantial expansion of national vaccine production capacity, with an ambitious target of up to 1.2 billion doses annually across vaccine types.
The minister stressed that such facilities, vaccines, syringes, drenching equipment and other veterinary tools require adequately trained technical personnel for effective operation and field deployment.
On employment, the minister encouraged NAAHHT members and graduates not to rely solely on government employment but to embrace entrepreneurship, livestock production, processing, value addition and other private-sector opportunities.
He further indicated that requests relating to access to land and other government-supported opportunities could be formally presented to the appropriate authorities.
The courtesy visit was highly significant, reaffirming the Federal Government’s recognition of NAAHHT as an important technical manpower resource for the livestock transformation agenda.
The NAAHHT delegation comprised Mr Kazeem Akingboye (National President), Mr Dauda A.S. Yahaya (General Secretary), Mrs Mercy Bishmang (National Women Secretary), Dr Friday Osusagwu (Chairman, Rivers State Chapter) and Hajia Lubabatu Abdullah, Women Coordinator (Katsina State).