As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark World Veterinary Day 2026, the country’s veterinary community has shifted the tone from celebration to caution, warning that beneath the surface of Nigeria’s food systems and public health structure lies a growing vulnerability that demands urgent national attention.
Anchored on the global theme, “Veterinarians: Guardians of Food and Health,” the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) said the moment calls not just for recognition of the profession, but for a sober reflection on the risks of neglecting a sector that sits at the intersection of food security, disease control, and environmental sustainability.
In a statement issued by its President, Dr. Moses Arokoyo, the association described veterinarians as the invisible custodians of national safety—professionals whose daily work sustains food systems, prevents disease outbreaks, and protects public health, yet remains largely underappreciated and structurally unsupported.
Across Nigeria’s vast and complex food chain, veterinarians operate at nearly every critical point—from livestock production and disease prevention on farms to meat inspection in abattoirs, laboratory diagnostics, surveillance systems, and policy advisory roles at national level. Despite this extensive footprint, the NVMA lamented that the profession’s contributions are often overlooked in governance frameworks and underrepresented in national development planning.
“From farm to fork, from laboratory to legislation, the veterinary profession underpins the safety, security and sustainability of food systems while standing as the first line of defence against zoonotic disease threats,” the statement said.
Yet, the association warned, this frontline role is becoming increasingly strained in a rapidly changing global health environment defined by climate pressures, antimicrobial resistance, and the persistent emergence of infectious diseases capable of crossing species barriers.
According to Arokoyo, the world has irreversibly entered a One Health era—one in which the health of humans, animals, and the environment are deeply interconnected. In such a reality, he stressed, veterinarians are no longer operating on the margins of public health but are central actors in preventing crises before they escalate.
He noted that veterinarians are now deeply involved in outbreak containment, vaccination campaigns, food safety enforcement, and surveillance systems designed to detect and halt potential pandemics at their source. This evolving responsibility, he argued, makes veterinary medicine not a supporting service, but a core pillar of national and global health security.
Despite this strategic importance, the NVMA identified a critical weakness undermining the profession’s visibility and influence: the absence of structured, reliable data capturing its impact. Arokoyo pointed to the lack of a comprehensive livestock census and the poor documentation of veterinary interventions—such as disease outbreaks contained, animals saved from condemnation, and the economic benefits of vaccination programmes—as major gaps.
Without such data, he warned, the true value of veterinary services remains hidden, limiting the sector’s ability to attract investment, influence policy, and assert its role in national planning.
“If it wasn’t measured, it didn’t happen,” he said, calling on practitioners to embrace data-driven reporting and documentation. Surveillance and reporting, he added, must be reframed not as administrative burdens, but as powerful advocacy tools capable of shaping national priorities and securing long-term funding.
Beyond data gaps, the NVMA raised concerns over persistent fragmentation across Nigeria’s health and food systems. The association warned that siloed operations among institutions and sectors continue to weaken the country’s capacity to respond effectively to complex and fast-moving health threats.
To address this, it called for stronger integration of veterinary services into national coordination mechanisms, including One Health platforms, state and national emergency operations centres, and policy development frameworks. According to the association, only a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach can effectively safeguard food systems and public health in today’s interconnected world.
“Together everyone achieves more,” the statement emphasised, underscoring the urgency of collaboration in tackling modern health challenges.
The NVMA also acknowledged the transformative potential of emerging technologies in reshaping veterinary practice. Innovations such as digital disease reporting systems, portable diagnostic tools, genomic epidemiology, and telemedicine for rural outreach are already expanding the reach and efficiency of veterinary services.
However, the association cautioned that technological progress must be matched with strong ethical standards and regulatory oversight. It raised alarm over increasing cases of quackery and the misuse of veterinary drugs—particularly antibiotics—warning that such practices could accelerate antimicrobial resistance, posing serious risks to both animal and human populations.
To counter these threats, the NVMA called for stricter enforcement of professional standards, improved regulation of veterinary practice, and stronger mentorship structures to guide the next generation of practitioners.
At a structural level, the association reiterated that the veterinary sector continues to suffer from chronic neglect, despite its critical importance to national stability. It called for the full implementation of the National Veterinary Policy, noting that existing frameworks must move beyond paper commitments to practical execution.
In addition, it urged government at all levels to address staffing shortages in veterinary departments, particularly at state and local government levels, where frontline services are most needed. The NVMA also stressed the importance of sustainable funding for essential interventions, including routine vaccination programmes, rehabilitation of abattoirs, and surveillance systems for antimicrobial resistance.
Failure to address these gaps, the association warned, would leave Nigeria exposed to preventable disease outbreaks, weaken food safety systems, and deepen existing economic vulnerabilities tied to agriculture and livestock production.
Arokoyo further highlighted the human dimension of the profession, noting that veterinarians operate daily across diverse and often challenging environments—from remote rural communities and livestock markets to urban abattoirs and research laboratories—ensuring that food remains safe and disease risks are contained.
Despite their contributions, he said, the profession remains largely invisible in public discourse, with many Nigerians unaware of the critical role veterinarians play in safeguarding everyday life.
He therefore called on the Federal Government to prioritise the recruitment and deployment of more veterinarians, warning that the country’s current capacity is insufficient to meet growing demands.
“Employ us to safeguard Nigerians,” he appealed. “Shared environment is shared risks.”
As World Veterinary Day 2026 is observed globally, the NVMA insisted that the occasion must go beyond symbolic recognition and serve as a catalyst for meaningful reform. For Nigeria, it argued, the stakes are too high to ignore.
The association concluded that veterinarians are not merely animal health professionals, but essential guardians of food systems, public health, and environmental stability. In a world facing increasing health uncertainties, it warned that continued neglect of the sector would come at a significant cost.
“Let today be more than a commemoration,” the statement said. “Let it be a recommitment to excellence, to One Health, and to the people and animals we serve.”
For Nigeria, the message is stark and unmistakable: the strength of its veterinary systems will ultimately shape the resilience of its food supply, the safety of its people, and the stability of its future.