Twenty-one fresh Veterinary doctors were recently inducted when the University played host to dignitaries from all walks of life during the induction ceremony and admission of graduates in the College of Veterinary Medicine (COLVET), into the Veterinary profession.
Speaking at the occasion, the Vice-Chancellor, FUNAAB and President, Association of African Universities, Professor Olusola Oyewole, stated that in order to ensure that COLVET continued to be a foremost centre of Veterinary education and animal disease control, the University recently constructed and opened an ultra-modern Veterinary Teaching Hospital with an initial contract for equipment, worth N30 million. The Vice-Chancellor further disclosed that, “Doctors of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree programme in the University has been fully accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC) since 2009, and we are confident that the feat has been repeated with the recently-released accreditation result by the NUC. Last year, our DVM programme was also fully accredited by the Veterinary Council of Nigeria for a period of five years. We are, therefore, proud today to release into the society, another batch of well-trained Veterinary doctors, who will help to boost livestock production and national food security through efficient and effective prevention, control of diseases and death of food animals”.
The Vice-Chancellor, however, charged the inductees, saying “as you go out into the world, always remember that the Federal Government has invested much more in you than to the average University graduate, for the cost of your training is about thrice that of an average University graduate. It, therefore, behooves you to give your utmost back to your country. Also, remember to lift the flag of FUNAAB high wherever you go”, Professor Oyewole added.
The Guest Speaker, a veteran Veterinarian, Dr. Adedamola Jaiyesimi, in a paper titled, “Making Clinicians out of Scientists”, said the main problem the new Veterinary doctors would face in their clinical life would not always be found in their lecture notes and textbooks. He charged them to always stand out and improve on the knowledge received while in the University and to keep abreast of recent technologies and techniques as they unfold. They were also advised not to limit themselves to the training received in the University, but to train and retrain themselves in the various fields of medicine, including the human medical problems, to be able to harness the limitless opportunities imbedded in the Veterinary profession. The Guest Speaker lamented that five decades after Veterinary schools were established in Nigeria, some corporate farms still employed expatriates, especially, Indians to manage their farms, while charging the new Veterinary doctors to be above board. Speaking on the opportunities that abound in the Veterinary profession, Dr. Jaiyesimi said veterinarians were equipped with more basic biomedical knowledge than their human medicine colleagues, adding that there are veterinarians in human medical faculties as well. “At a point in time, University of Harvard’s Public Health School was headed by a DVM holder. My dream for you is to harness the power of your mind, from one of you would come Nigeria’s first Nobel Laureate in medicine or physiology”, he added.
The President, Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN), Professor Garba Sharubutu, expressed his confidence in the University to turn out qualitative veterinarians, who would stand the test of time, be good ambassadors of the University, as well as the veterinary profession. Professor Sharabutu commended the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oyewole and the University Management for the dynamism, saying that VCN was always happy to associate with FUNAAB because anytime he visited the institution, there was always a positive change in the structure and development, adding that such has endeared FUNAAB to his Council.
The VCN President challenged the new inductees to see their inductions as a call to greater service by improving livestock production, which used to be a money spinner just like the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and means of livelihood considering the recent drop in oil prices and rise in the dollar rate. He also challenged the University to move its College to the next level by increasing the number of student intakes, adding that the University had the structure while the VCN grants approval for the admission of students into the profession.
Corroborating him, the President, Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), Dr. Edgar Sunday, congratulated the University for its steady progress, which had allowed it to carve a niche for itself as a leading citadel of learning and centre of academic excellence, as he urged the University Management to do more by equipping its Veterinary Teaching Hospital so that Veterinary doctors are well equipped with all the theoretical and practical skills needed to excel. He also lauded the University for ensuring that the welfare of its members are well taken care of, while charging the new inductees, “to continue to be hardworking, be professional in whatever you do, to maintain the ethics of the profession, to be creative and enterprising and to continues your intellectual pursuit”.
Earlier, the Dean of COLVET, Professor Babatunde Otesile, noted that the seventh induction ceremony was for the seventh graduating set of DVM since the six-year DVM programme commenced in FUNAAB in March 2002, meaning that each set of the University graduate of Veterinary Medicine was licensed to practice by VCN, as soon as they complete their studies in the University. He commended the University Management for its support and encouragement, which had enabled the College to get accredited.
Speaking on her love for the Veterinary Profession, one of the newly inducted Veterinary Doctors, Dr. Adurayemi Quadri said if given the opportunity to make a choice again, she would choose the veterinary profession because she believed she has better advantage than her colleagues in the Human Medicine. According to her, the only thing they can do after graduation is to work in a human hospital, but as a veterinary doctor, she could work in various organizations such as NAFDAC, Pharmaceutical Companies, set up a Vet Clinic or work with the Ministry of Agriculture. “The opportunities are so diversified and more lucrative than the human medicine and I am glad that I opted to be a veterinary doctor”. Dr. Quadri added that awareness on the benefit of the profession was limited, advocated for more enlightenment programmes to be organised by the College and practitioners in the field, for younger students seeking admission, within the University itself and their clients.
While reacting to his induction into the Veterinary Profession, Dr. Taiwo Awosanya, said he felt accomplished and extremely grateful to God for seeing him through the course, saying he was particularly excited to have had his family members around to share in his joy, considering the fact that he is officially the first Doctor in his family.
Highlight of the occasion was the swearing-in of the new inductees, donations and the presentation of awards to two distinguished friends of the College for their immense contributions to livestock production in Nigeria. They are: Lady Olufunmilayo Agbato, Executive Vice-President, Animal Care Consult, who was represented by Mrs. Olusola Tijani of Animal Care Consult, Nigeria; and Mr. Olumide Origunloye of Farm Support Limited, who was represented by Dr. Adigun Olufemi, while the dignitaries present include Dr. Jide Oluwawemitan, the State Chairman, Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), Ogun State; Dr. Tunji Nasir of Truthmiles Animal Hospital, Lagos; Dr. Dotun Sorunke, Director, Veterinary Services, Ogun State; Mrs. Omobolanle Oyewole, wife of the Chairman and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olusola Oyewole, Professor Adekojo Waheed, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic; Professor Felix Salako, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Development; Mr. Mathew Ayoola, Registrar; Mr. Moses Ilesanmi, Bursar; Dr. Mulikat Salaam, the University Librarian; Deans of Colleges, Directors, Heads of Departments and Units of FUNAAB, among others.
