NVRI Hosts Transformational Leadership and Strategic Institutional Capacity Retreat in Abuja

NVRI Hosts Transformational Leadership and Strategic Institutional Capacity Retreat in Abuja

The National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) convened a three-day Management Retreat from 3rd–5th March 2026 at the National Intelligence Agency Conference Centre, Abuja.

The Retreat, themed “Strengthening Our Mandate through Enhanced Stewardship: Transformational Leadership and Strategic Institutional Capacity Training,” provided a strategic platform to critically evaluate the Institute’s direction, operational capacity, and leadership effectiveness in fulfilling its national mandate on animal disease control, vaccine production, and research excellence.

The Honourable Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning NVRI for enhanced vaccine production, strengthened disease control systems, and private sector-driven growth as part of broader livestock sector reforms.

He noted that despite over a century of existence, NVRI currently meets less than 40% of Nigeria’s local animal vaccine demand. Describing this as both a challenge and an opportunity, he highlighted that Nigeria spends approximately $1.5 billion annually on vaccine importation. The Minister therefore charged the Institute to work towards reducing the vaccine import bill by at least $500 million by 2030.

He further emphasised the importance of structured private sector investment and strategic partnerships in ensuring commercial viability and sustainable institutional growth. According to him, unlocking Nigeria’s estimated $3.2 billion beef export potential depends significantly on strengthened vaccine production, disease surveillance, and diagnostic systems.

In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, stressed the need for technological advancement, policy coherence, regional leadership, and national vaccine sufficiency. She underscored NVRI’s critical role in bridging gaps affecting animal product exports, public health outcomes, and livestock productivity.

The Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, Dr Samuel Anzaku, described NVRI as one of Nigeria’s most strategic animal health institutions, noting that the Office of the CVO relies heavily on the Institute’s laboratory outputs for early warning, outbreak response, international reporting, and policy formulation.

Speaking on behalf of the Institute, the Acting Executive Director, Dr Nicholas Nwankpa, stated that the retreat was convened to assess current institutional capacity, identify operational gaps, and develop innovative strategies aligned with the vision of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.

He reiterated NVRI’s core mandates, including vaccine production, research on emerging and re-emerging animal diseases, national diagnostic services, and extension support to livestock farmers.

The retreat is expected to yield actionable reforms aimed at modernising NVRI into a globally competitive veterinary research and vaccine production institution supporting Nigeria’s livestock transformation agenda.