By DIANA CHUKWUKA

L-PRES Deploys 780 Veterinary Experts to Bridge Rural Animal-Health Gap

THE shortage of veterinary professionals in Nigeria’s rural communities has become a major challenge for livestock farmers, with many producers struggling to access timely animal-health services.

The National Coordinator of the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), Dr. Sanusi Abubakar, said more than 80 per cent of veterinary doctors in Nigeria work in the private sector, with many concentrated in urban areas.

To close the gap, L-PRES, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, is deploying 780 private veterinarians and veterinary para-professionals to more than 1,000 livestock clusters across 13 states.

Reaching Farmers Beyond the Cities

Abubakar disclosed this in Ilorin, Kwara State, where L-PRES commenced the pilot implementation of its Private Veterinary Service (PVS) programme.

He explained that the initiative was designed to bring professional animal-health services closer to farmers, particularly those living and operating in rural communities.

Under the arrangement, each state will have about 60 veterinary professionals, producing a total of 780 personnel across the 13 participating states.

The programme is structured as a public-private partnership involving private veterinarians working alongside government veterinary officers.

According to Abubakar, the intervention could reach at least 26,000 livestock farmers while also creating employment opportunities for young veterinarians and para-veterinarians.

Disease Surveillance Gets Attention

Beyond routine veterinary consultations, the PVS programme is expected to strengthen disease surveillance across participating communities.

Early detection is particularly important in livestock production because animal diseases can spread rapidly and cause substantial losses to farmers.

L-PRES has previously identified animal-health services as one of its core areas of intervention, alongside livestock productivity, commercialisation and resilience. The project has also invested in veterinary infrastructure, disease surveillance laboratories and cold-chain facilities in different states.

Abubakar said the new programme would improve early response to disease outbreaks and ultimately contribute to higher livestock productivity.

Kwara Leads the Pilot

Kwara was selected as the first state for the pilot implementation of the PVS programme.

Abubakar described the state as one of the leading states in L-PRES implementation and commended the state government for its cooperation.

He disclosed that L-PRES had completed a Model Veterinary Hospital in Ilorin and a Strategic Animal Holding Facility at the Baruten border.

A pilot waste-management plan is also ongoing at Akerebiata in Ilorin.

The project, he added, plans to establish additional veterinary clinics and a strategic vaccine-storage facility in the state capital.

Government Strengthens Animal Health Services

The Kwara State Commissioner for Livestock Development, Mrs. Oloruntoyosi Thomas, said the state government was working with L-PRES to strengthen livestock production and veterinary services.

She explained that selected private veterinarians would work alongside government veterinary officers to provide professional services to livestock farmers across the state.

The collaboration, she said, would improve disease surveillance, expand vaccination coverage and strengthen the state’s response to outbreaks.

It would also promote the responsible use of veterinary drugs.

Vaccination Reaches More Animals

Thomas said the state government had implemented several interventions over the past two years to improve livestock production.

These include artificial insemination and the provision of water, feed and pasture for pastoralist communities.

The government has also established demonstration farms and supplied livestock farmers with equipment such as threshers, crushers, pelleting machines and balers to support feed production.

According to the commissioner, veterinary clinics and slaughter facilities across the state have also been renovated and equipped.

More than 238,000 animals have been vaccinated, while over 800 livestock value-chain players have been mapped and profiled. More than 2,000 farmers have also received training under various interventions.

Recent reporting from Kwara similarly put the number of animals vaccinated through the state’s L-PRES-supported interventions at more than 238,000, highlighting the emphasis on disease prevention and animal health.

Linking Animal Health to Livelihoods

For livestock farmers, animal health has a direct connection with household income.

Healthy animals are more likely to produce milk and meat efficiently, reproduce successfully and survive preventable diseases.

Thomas said stronger veterinary services would therefore improve livestock production, enhance farmers’ livelihoods and increase the contribution of the sector to Kwara’s economy.

The PVS programme also provides an employment pathway for veterinary professionals and para-veterinarians, particularly younger practitioners.

A Wider Livestock Transformation Effort

The deployment forms part of a broader effort to strengthen Nigeria’s livestock sector.

L-PRES is a six-year, $500 million World Bank-supported project aimed at improving livestock productivity, commercialisation and resilience. It has been implemented across multiple states through investments in infrastructure, animal health, value chains and farmer support.

As the PVS programme expands beyond its Kwara pilot, its effectiveness will depend on whether veterinary professionals can consistently reach remote livestock communities and provide services when farmers need them.

For rural producers, closing that distance could make a significant difference in disease prevention, animal productivity and the sustainability of livestock-based livelihoods.