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From Kenneth Udeh, Abuja
The Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN) will convene its second annual three-day staff retreat from Monday, January 26 to Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at a secure venue in Abuja, as part of renewed efforts to strengthen animal health regulation, guarantee food security for over 200 million Nigerians, and drive economic growth through improved livestock productivity.
The retreat, themed “Animal Health for Human Health: Strengthening Regulation for Food Security and Economic Growth,” brings together the Council’s 35 professional staff to consolidate recent institutional reforms and align VCN’s regulatory mandate with national development priorities in the livestock sector.
The 2026 retreat builds on major milestones recorded in 2025 with the support of Propcom+, which funded logistics for VCN’s maiden staff retreat, facilitated a comprehensive review of the Community Animal Health Curriculum and the Veterinary Surgeons Act, and supported the development of the Council’s first-ever Strategic Plan (2026–2030).
These interventions, according to the Council, have repositioned VCN for effective implementation and regulatory excellence.
Speaking ahead of the retreat, Acting Registrar of VCN, Dr. Oladotun Ebenezer Fadipe on Monday, said the gathering would focus on translating policy frameworks into concrete outcomes.
“Propcom+’s landmark support in 2025 delivered VCN’s first staff retreat, the revised Community Animal Health Curriculum, the Veterinary Surgeons Bill, and our Strategic Plan 2026–2030,”.
“This retreat equips our team to operationalise this historic framework in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigerian Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy (NL-GAS) of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.
“For the first time in VCN’s history, we have a comprehensive strategic roadmap. What is now required is enhanced staff capacity to deliver regulatory excellence in animal health, public safety, and livestock productivity,” Fadipe said.
He stated further;
“The retreat will integrate VCN’s work within the ten strategic pillars of NL-GAS, with a focus on strengthening regulation of veterinary education and practice to curb zoonotic diseases, which account for over 75 per cent of human illnesses.
“It will also address food safety, secure animal protein supply for Nigeria’s growing population, and boost GDP through increased production of beef, milk, hides, and skins.
Deputy Registrar, Dr. Helen Ego Oputa-Chime, said the 2026 retreat marks a turning point for the Council following its restoration to the federal budget.
“After last year’s retreat, which took place amid budget exclusion, we are now budget-restored and strategically positioned,”.
“The January 2025 retreat encouraged our staff to sustain momentum despite being out of budget for over a year. Now, with renewed government support, we are fully aligning with the eight points of the Renewed Hope Agenda”.
“From this agenda emerged NL-GAS with ten pillars, and VCN is finding its rightful place as a critical stakeholder in the livestock industry regulating training and practice of veterinary medicine to ensure animal health, public health, and wholesome meat and animal protein reaching the tables of over 200 million Nigerians, ” she said.
Oputa-Chime stressed that effective animal health regulation is central to national wellbeing and economic development.
“If disease burden in animals is not properly handled, human life is endangered.
We regulate animal health caregivers for pets, security animals, and livestock, ensure facilities meet global best practices, curb zoonotic spread, improve public health, and enhance productivity in beef, milk, hides, and skins for local consumption and export boosting GDP, livelihoods, and the Nigerian economy. It is truly animal health for human health,” she said.
The retreat is expected to attract a high-level lineup of stakeholders, including the Honourable Minister of Livestock Development; the Honourable Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security; Permanent Secretaries of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and the Federal Republic of Nigeria; the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria; the President and Board members of VCN; leadership of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA); representatives of the National Universities Commission, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), FAO (ECTAD), the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Propcom+, and other key industry players.
VCN is the statutory body responsible for regulating veterinary medicine and practice in Nigeria under the Veterinary Council Act, with a mandate to promote animal health, safeguard public health, enhance food security, and support economic growth. More information is available at www.vcn.gov.ng.
