By Jonathan Lois
The Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN) will convene its second annual three-day staff retreat from January 26 to 28, 2026, in Abuja, as part of efforts to strengthen regulatory capacity and align the Council’s operations with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigerian Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy (NL-GAS).
The retreat, which will bring together the Council’s 35 staff members, builds on key institutional milestones achieved in 2025 with support from Propcom+.
Those milestones include the Council’s inaugural staff retreat, a comprehensive review of the Community Animal Health Curriculum, revisions to the Veterinary Surgeons Bill, and the development of VCN’s first Strategic Plan covering 2026–2030.
Acting Registrar of the Council, Dr. Oladotun Ebenezer Fadipe, said the retreat is designed to reposition staff for effective implementation of the newly developed strategic framework, describing it as a turning point in the Council’s history.
“Propcom+’s landmark support in 2025 delivered VCN’s first staff retreat, the revised Community Animal Health Curriculum, the Veterinary Surgeons Bill, and our Strategic Plan for 2026–2030,” Fadipe said.
“This retreat equips our team to operationalise this historic framework in alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda and the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development’s NL-GAS.
For the first time, VCN has a comprehensive strategic roadmap, which requires enhanced capacity for regulatory excellence in animal health, public safety, and livestock productivity.”
According to the Council, the retreat will integrate VCN’s mandate within the 10 strategic pillars of NL-GAS, particularly in strengthening regulation of veterinary training and practice. This, it noted, is critical to mitigating zoonotic diseases—estimated to account for over 75 per cent of human illnesses—while safeguarding food supply for Nigeria’s population and contributing to economic growth through improved livestock production.
Deputy Registrar, Dr. Helen Ego Oputa-Chime, recalled that the inaugural retreat in January 2025 was held at a time the Council had been excluded from the federal budget, describing the forthcoming retreat as a reflection of renewed institutional stability.
“Last year’s retreat encouraged our staff to sustain momentum despite being out of the budget for over a year,” she said. “With the restoration of the Council to the federal budget, we are now fully aligning with the eight-point Renewed Hope Agenda, from which our supervising ministry developed NL-GAS. VCN is a critical stakeholder in the livestock industry, regulating the training and practice of veterinary medicine to ensure animal health, public health, and wholesome meat and animal protein for Nigerians.”
Oputa-Chime emphasised that effective regulation of animal health caregivers is essential for the wellbeing of pets, security animals and livestock, noting that unmanaged animal disease burdens pose direct risks to human life.
She added that the Council’s work in ensuring veterinary premises meet global best practices contributes to curbing zoonotic diseases, improving public health, boosting livestock productivity in beef, milk, hides and skins, and increasing Nigeria’s export potential and gross domestic product.
“This is animal health for human health,” she said.
The retreat is expected to attract a wide range of stakeholders in the livestock and public health sectors, including the Minister of Livestock Development; the Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security; the Permanent Secretaries of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and the Federal Republic of Nigeria; the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria; members of the VCN Board; and leaders of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association.
Other expected participants include representatives of the National Universities Commission, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, the Food and Agriculture Organization (ECTAD), Propcom+, and key veterinary communities and industry partners.
The Veterinary Council of Nigeria regulates veterinary medicine and practice in the country under the Veterinary Council Act, with a mandate to promote animal health, protect public health, enhance food security, and support economic growth through the livestock sector.
