The Federal Government has completed and officially handed over new Veterinary Primary Health Centres in Lagos and Ogun states as part of efforts to improve animal healthcare services and livestock productivity across Nigeria.
The newly completed facilities are located in Epe, Lagos State, and Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State, under the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development’s nationwide plan to establish 774 veterinary health centres across all local government areas in the country.
Speaking during the handover ceremony in Epe, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, represented by Dr. Alao Mitchell, said the initiative is aimed at making veterinary healthcare services more accessible to livestock farmers.
According to him, the centres will also strengthen disease prevention, surveillance and control while improving livestock production and supporting national food security efforts.
The Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations in the ministry, Henrietta Okokon, disclosed that the project is being implemented in phases across 20 states nationwide.
She explained that seven out of the proposed 21 model veterinary hospitals have already been completed in Sokoto, Niger, Enugu, Ondo, Borno, Adamawa and Edo states, while construction is ongoing on 14 others.
Okokon further stated that the Federal Government is collaborating with state governments and private sector stakeholders under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement to ensure the sustainability and effective management of the facilities.
The veterinary centres are expected to provide affordable animal healthcare services to livestock farmers, especially smallholder producers who often face limited access to veterinary support.
According to the ministry, the programme is projected to benefit more than 450,000 livestock value chain clusters within its first two years of operation.