Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ilorin has inducted 35 new veterinary doctors at its seventh induction/oath-taking ceremony.

Speaking as the Keynote Speaker at the event, a former Vice President of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN), Dr. Bala Muhammed, told both the graduands and audience at the event that solutions to contemporary health challenges demand interdisciplinary cooperation.

“Solutions to today’s greatest health challenges cannot be designed in isolation—they demand cooperation across veterinary medicine, human medicine, environmental sciences, and public policy”, he added.

Muhammed, a veterinary surgeon, said: “The health of humans, animals, and the environment can no longer be treated as separate concerns.

“They are intricately linked, forming the foundation of the one health approach, a global strategy that requires collaboration across disciplines to achieve optimal health outcomes for all.”

He added that, “despite successes, veterinary services remain underfunded, under-recognized, and under-integrated into national health frameworks.

“Many countries, including ours, face surveillance blind spots, weak laboratory capacity, and governance silos.

“These gaps allow diseases to simmer unnoticed until they explode into public crises, with devastating health and economic consequences.

“To truly protect one world, we must invest in veterinary infrastructure and laboratories, foster collaboration among doctors, veterinarians, ecologists, and policymakers to strengthen education, funding, and data systems which empower community-centered prevention strategies. “Veterinarians must be recognized not only as responders but as guardians of planetary health.”

The President of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN), Prof. Mathew Adamu, urged the graduands to uphold the ethics of the profession.

Prof. Adamu, who was represented by the Vice President of VCN, Halimah Gambo, urged the graduands to let the integrity be their watch word and serve with compassion.

According to him, taking care of animals as a veterinary doctor, means they are indirectly taking care of people of the nation.

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole (SAN) who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Management Services, Prof. Adegboyega Fawole, charged the new vet doctors to be good ambassadors of the university.

Earlier, Dean of the Faculty Professor Saliu Ameen, said that the induction marked the formal licensing of these young doctors as veterinary professionals.

Professor Ameen added that, “this ceremony is not merely a ritual; it is a defining moment. It signifies the transition of our graduands from students of veterinary medicine to full members of a noble and globally relevant profession”.

Dr Kareemot Babalola, who spoke on behalf of the graduands commended their lecturers for the mentoring and tutorship for their six years rigorous of learning.

Babalola appreciated their parents for the spiritual, moral and financial support throughout the journey.

She, therefore, urged her colleagues to be good ambassadors of the institution and Nigeria.

End

By: Fabian Apechihin

The Kaduna State House of Assembly (KSHA) has passed a bill to establish the Tertiary Institutions Regulatory Agency and Other Related Matters, 2025.

The bill, passed during plenary on Tuesday under the leadership of Speaker Yusuf Dahiru Liman, is aimed at strengthening oversight of public and private tertiary institutions in the state.

Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Deputy Chief Whip, Hon. Muhammad Lawal Ismail, told journalists after the session that the agency would serve as a “data bank” for student enrolment, programmes, and institutional compliance with state regulations.

“Before now, there was no body monitoring the relationship between teachers and students or ensuring institutions adhered to state rules and labour regulations,” Ismail said. He added that, unlike the National Universities Commission (NUC) which enforces national academic standards, the new agency would focus on Kaduna-specific requirements.

According to him, the agency will regulate both public and private colleges of education, including their fees, environment, and overall operations. “We believe His Excellency will assent to this for the betterment of our people because Kaduna is leading in terms of education,” he said.

In a related development, the Assembly also adopted a motion to regulate the activities of metal waste vendors across the state. The motion, sponsored by Aminu Lawal, member representing Doka/Gabasawa Constituency, seeks to promote environmental sustainability, protect public health, and enforce compliance with existing waste management laws.

Lawmakers unanimously backed the motion, warning that unregulated scrap metal trading has contributed to theft of public infrastructure and private property, endangering communities and costing the government millions of naira in repairs.

Do you want me to keep this as a formal legislative report (as it reads now), or make it more punchy and headline-driven for general news readers?

By: Fabian Apechihin

Starting October 6, Nigerian graduates will not be allowed to participate in or obtain exemption from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) without complying with the National Policy for the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD).

The directive, confirmed in a circular issued by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, is backed by provisions of the NYSC Act.

The NERD databank, introduced by the Ministry of Education, aims to combat academic fraud and certificate racketeering by requiring students and institutions to upload verifiable academic outputs such as final-year projects, dissertations, and theses. Each submission must include the student’s full name, supervisors, head of department, and sponsoring institution.

“This serves as both a quality assurance measure and independent proof of genuine academic enrolment,” the circular stated.

The policy applies to all higher education institutions — federal, state, private, military, agricultural, and nursing colleges — as well as Nigerians who studied abroad and seek NYSC enrolment or exemption. Serving corps members and those mobilised before October 6 are exempt.

To support implementation, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and other agencies have been directed to provide seamless data exchange. From March 30 every year, all institutions and relevant organisations must file compliance reports with NERD.

The initiative also features a reward system, enabling students and lecturers to earn lifetime revenues from their academic uploads.

According to the federal government, the policy is intended to restore credibility to Nigeria’s education system and ensure only graduates with verifiable credentials access the NYSC scheme.

Do you want me to make this more formal and policy-focused, or shorter and punchier like a breaking news report?