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From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
In recognition that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming industries across the world, veterinary medicine inclusive, Vet Konect, a digital animal health company in partnership with Nova Vet family, a Dubai based company, has successfully hosted the maiden African Animal Health AI Summit 2026, to prepare Africa’s animal health workforce for the new era.
The maiden Summit brought together veterinary professionals, researchers, educators, policymakers, students, technology innovators, and industry stakeholders from across Africa and beyond.
The 2-Day virtual summit created a platform for meaningful conversations on how artificial intelligence can strengthen veterinary practice, improve disease surveillance, enhance livestock production, support research, and increase access to quality animal healthcare.
The discussants throughout the summit, reminded the participants that AI is not here to replace veterinarians, but to empower them with better tools for decision making and service delivery.
Declaring the event open, founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vet Konect, Dr. Shadrach Akpem reminded participants of the urgency and need to embrace technology in advancing animal care given the limited human resource of animal health professionals on the African continent.
He said the timing was right to leverage technology as a spring board to improving animal health outcomes and called for collaboration among governments, universities, professional associations, technology companies, and development partners to ensure Africa is not left behind in the ongoing digital transformation.
He encouraged participants to embrace innovation while maintaining the ethical principles and professional standards that define veterinary medicine.
The first day featured presentations by Dr. Patrik Holmboe, Product Manager at Nova Vet Family who demonstrated practical applications of AI in veterinary practice, including AI powered medical scribes, clinical decision support systems, and digital tools that reduce administrative workload while allowing veterinarians to spend more time with their patients. He emphasized that AI should always function as a clinical assistant, with professional judgement remaining firmly in the hands of veterinarians.
In a keynote address, the President of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), Dr. Moses Arokoyo, highlighted the importance of digital infrastructure and Public Private Partnerships in advancing AI adoption across Africa.
He explained how artificial intelligence can strengthen disease surveillance, improve outbreak preparedness, and support evidence based decision making, while calling for greater collaboration between governments, academia, technology companies, and the private sector.
An engaging panel discussion featuring Dr. Gani Enahoro, Dr. Femi Kayode, Dr. Puspa Ramloo, and Dr. Moses Arokoyo explored the opportunities, risks, and readiness for AI in African veterinary systems. The panel emphasized the need to modernize veterinary education, develop indigenous AI solutions tailored to Africa’s realities, and preserve empathy, ethics, and clinical judgement as the profession embraces new technologies.
Dr. Gani Enahoro encouraged participants to remain adaptable, embrace lifelong learning, and recognize that data quality remains the foundation of effective AI systems. He alao challenged veterinarians to see AI not as a threat, but as a valuable partner capable of strengthening veterinary services.
On his part Dr. Patrik Holmboe demonstrated practical AI tools that veterinarians can immediately integrate into their daily workflow, illustrating how technology can improve productivity, reduce burnout, and enhance patient care.
In another panel discussion, Dr. Gani Enahoro, Dr. Namara Delilah Diana, and Dr. Shehu Shamsudeen, explored how young animal health professionals can thrive in an AI driven profession and encouraged students and early career veterinarians to strengthen their scientific foundations, develop digital competencies, remain adaptable, and uphold the compassion and ethical responsibility that artificial intelligence can never replace.
At the end of the summit, the organizers noted that the event marked the beginning of a broader movement to advance responsible AI adoption within Africa’s animal health sector. Beyond introducing participants to emerging technologies, the summit fostered dialogue, collaboration, and new partnerships that will help shape the future of veterinary medicine across the continent.
They noted that the successful maiden edition demonstrated that Africa is ready not only to adopt AI, but also to contribute meaningfully to developing innovative solutions that address the continent’s unique animal health challenges.
