The Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), says it will strengthen cooperation with the Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) to improve veterinary services in the FCT.

The mandate secretary, Lawan Geidam, stated this when the newly elected officials of the association visited him in Abuja.

Mr Geidam noted that the association plays a critical role in driving the livestock sector and contributing significantly to job creation and means of individual livelihoods with a positive impact on the national economy.

According to him, the FCT Administration is prioritising veterinary practice through the recruitment of qualified veterinarians to provide the needed services to the livestock sector.

“The administration is also organising training and retraining programmes to expose the veterinarians to international best practices with a view to enhance their capacities to deliver quality health care to livestock,” he said. 

The secretary said the FCTA would continue to tap the expertise of the members of the NVMA and other stakeholders.

Mr Geidam commended the veterinary doctors, particularly those working in the secretariat, for their dedication to duty and providing quality services to livestock farmers during the mass vaccination and treatment exercise.

He said the secretariat would support the work of the committee established by the FCTA to regulate and streamline veterinary practice premises in the FCT.

Earlier, the NVMA chairperson, Chinna Joe-Iruobe, lauded the FCTA for its advancements in animal vaccination and clinical operations.

Ms Joe-Iruobe stressed the significance of government investment in building the capacities of FCT veterinary doctors to ensure the provision of optimal veterinary services to the public.

 (NAN)