Raji canvasses greater investment in disease surveillance
By Abubakar Imam
A former Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ilorin, Mashood Abiola Raji, has urged the Federal Government and other stakeholders to ensure greater investment in modern diagnostic laboratories and integrated disease surveillance systems.
Prof. Raji made this call last Thursday (September 10, 2026) while delivering the 307th Inaugural Lecture of the University, titled “Microbes: Invisible Enemies of Humans and Livestock”, at the University Auditorium.
The Inaugural Lecturer said that the coordinated national surveillance programme should be established and sustained to monitor disease incidence, identify epidemiological risk factors, monitor seasonal disease trends, and provide real-time surveillance of antimicrobial resistance to enable rapid public health interventions.
Prof. Raji, who is also the Chairman of the University of Ilorin Sports Council, also called for the institutionalisation of what he called “inter-sectoral collaboration” among relevant agencies.
He suggested that a formal and sustainable mechanism should be established for routine collaboration and information sharing among the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and Veterinary Teaching Hospitals (VTH).
Prof. Raji, whose Inaugural Lecture was the 5th to be delivered from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,University of Ilorin, explained that such collaboration is essential for effective disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, and coordinated emergency response.
He also called for remarkable improvement in food safety, biosecurity, and environmental sanitation, saying that governments, livestock producers, and livestock market associations should enforce strict hygiene, sanitation, and biosecurity standards throughout the production chain.
The Inaugural Lecturer, who also served as the pioneer Editor-in-Chief of the Savannah Veterinary Journal, equally encouraged the introduction of modern slaughterhouses, reliable water supply, effective waste disposal systems, routine inspection, and strict compliance with food safety regulations at designated places so as to reduce food-borne diseases and safeguard public health.
Prof. Raji also said that it was high-time to ensure increment in investment in Animal and Public Health, calling on governments at all levels to significantly increase funding for disease surveillance, laboratory infrastructure, vaccine development, antimicrobial resistance monitoring, and research.
According to the don, the private sector, development partners, and philanthropic organisations, should complement the efforts of government through strategic investments and public-private partnerships that strengthen national health security.
Prof. Raji also called for the strengthening of the regulation of veterinary drugs and vaccines, stressing that regulatory agencies should intensify the enforcement of laws governing the production, importation, distribution, sale, and use of veterinary drugs and vaccines.
He also noted that the manufacture and circulation of counterfeit and substandard veterinary products should attract severe sanctions as he suggested that the prescription and administration of restricted veterinary medicines should remain the exclusive responsibility of licensed veterinary practitioners to promote responsible antimicrobial stewardship.
Prof. Raji, who has supervised no fewer than 10 doctorate degree dissertations, also called for the promotion of digital health and veterinary telemedicine. He said that governments and private technology companies should expand digital health infrastructure to support telemedicine and tele-veterinary services.
He also called for remote consultation, disease monitoring, electronic reporting, and digital advisory platforms, which he noted, would improve access to veterinary and public health services, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
The Inaugural Lecturer, who is also a former Head of the Department of Veterinary Microbiology, also called for the strengthening of public awareness and community engagement. He noted that governments, educational institutions, professional bodies, civil society organisations, and the media should intensify public education campaigns on food hygiene, responsible antimicrobial use, vaccination, environmental sanitation, and zoonotic disease prevention.
Prof. Raji further canvassed community participation, which, he said, is indispensable for stakeholders to achieve sustainable disease prevention and control.
Drawing from personal experience, Prof. Raji enjoined youths to positively explore the nation’s heterogeneity by not restricting themselves to a particular segment of the country based on stereotypes. He explained that such dispositions could be very rewarding as it would enhance nation-building.
Prof. Raji also encouraged senior academics to always render mentorship to the upcoming ones. He noted that availing younger ones necessary career support and guidance would smoothen the career progression of the beneficiaries and ultimately enhance national development.
The Inaugural Lecture, which was presided over by the Vice Chancellor, Prof.Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), was also attended by Principal Officers of the University, former Deans of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, relations, friends, colleagues, students and members of the public from far and near.
