The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has completed and handed over newly constructed primary animal health center to Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, moor plantation, Ibadan (FCAH&PTIB).

The handing over ceremony which took place on Tuesday, 22nd August, 2023, at the institution's premises, was carried by the Oyo State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mrs Florence Kakulu.

While handing over the necessary documents to the Provost FCAH&PTIB, Dr Adekoya Owosibo, she stated that the purpose for the construction of the Health Care Center is to compliment and boost the capacity of the college and the state as a whole to effectively provide quality animal health care services. She added further that the handover is to enhance proper management and utilization, and to ensure the sustainability of the facilities. She urged the institution to ensure proper management is put in place and documented appropriately.

Kakulu commended the efforts of the provost, Dr Owosibo for his unrelenting efforts in piloting the institution's efforts and equally stated that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will continue to support the institution.

She implored the beneficiary that the sustainability of the infrastructural facility is a collective effort, urging them to make sure that proper management is upheld.

Speaking in an interview with CEOAFRICA, the Oyo State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Kakulu reveals the clinic will serve as a practical training for the students and help them to function better even after schooling. The coordinator said "the center will serve as a practical exposure to the students of the college. When they have practical exposure, they don't just listen to the theory in the classroom but they can actually see cases in true life situation. It will equip them better to be able to deliver services when they go out to the larger society. This will help to ensure food security, to be better equip, to prevent and control zoonotic diseases, that is diseases transmitted from animals to human beings and verse versa. So, the training students will receive from the clinic will equip them to be able to deliver services effectively and it will also enhance animal production".

The Provost Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, (FCAH&PTIB), Dr Adekoya Owosibo expressed his appreciation to the ministry stating "that it is a building that the institution has so much long for to enhance the productivity of the college. The center will also serve as a place that our students will have handsome training on the area of animal health practice and help to prevent animal diseases. it is going to serve as a primary diagnosis center, as it will help us to mitigate diseases."

Owosibo also stated that the center will help in the fight against rabies. According to him, the institution has been known for their anti-rabies campaign which they do often, especially in Oyo state. He said during the campaign, the school go round to vaccinate as many dogs as possible just to make sure that rabies is a thing of the past.

In an exclusive interview with CEOAFRICA, the provost, disclosed that the clinic will help to train the students to acquire skills for the prevention of diseases and treatment of zoonotic diseases. "Our students will have hands on training to be able to mitigate all these problems because when we have free diseased animal, we will be able to have better meat. It will be used to serve the whole of the community; you know the community is going to benefit from it by bringing their birds, animals, they will have free diseased animals. The immediate benefit as of today, we have about 1000 students to be benefiting from the clinic through learning.It will also enhance food security, because when the students are trained on how to mitigate animal diseases, there will be enough food to get from the animals.

On how whether the center is limited to only students of the FCAH&PT, Owosibo said "as the only approved animal Science Health College which is domiciled in the southern part of Nigeria for the training of community Animal Health Workers, especially those working in the villages, Agric extension workers, we welcome everyone interested to learn how to give care to animals, so that healthy animals to ensure food security in Nigeia."