A former Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Israel Adu, has been elected as the President of the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS). A Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Professor Adu was elected at the 3rd Joint Annual Meeting (JAM) of NIAS and the Animal Science Association of Nigeria (ASAN), held recently at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan. Professor Adu was Vice-Chancellor of FUNAAB, from September 1, 2001 to August 31, 2006 and he’s currently the Pro-Chancellor of McPherson University, Ogun State.
Also appointed as Council members of NIAS, at the Joint Annual Meeting, were three University officials, namely; the Dean of the College of Animal Science and Livestock Production (COLANIM), Professor Christian Ikeobi, representing the Animal Breeding and Genetics Discipline; the Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies, Professor Olufemi Onifade, who would represent the Pasture and Range Management Discipline; while Professor Samuel Abiola, is to represent the Livestock Products Processing and Preservation Discipline. Professor Ikeobi is of the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics with research focus in the areas of animal genetics, characterisation and evaluation of Nigeria’s animal resources, with special emphasis on the local chicken. He is presently a member of the University’s Governing Council. Professor Onifade is of the Department of Pasture and Range Management and a member of several international and national bodies. He was until recently, the Dean of Student Affairs, while Professor Abiola is of the Department of Animal Production and Health, with research interest in Monogastric Animal Production Meat Processing. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Meat, London and a Member, South African Society for Animal Science.
NIAS was founded in 1975 and legally established by the National Assembly Act No. 26 of 2007, under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. It is the regulatory agency for Animal Science practice with powers to regulate all matters pertaining to animal husbandry in Nigeria. It is also saddled with the responsibility of regulating professional practices towards increasing profitability for improved animal husbandry and production while ASAN, on the other hand, was established in 1995 with the aim of promoting the standard of livestock production through policy formation and research in the industry. The tenure of the newly-elected Council members is for three years, with effect from 2014.
