Keffi, Nigeria, 29 August 2025 — The Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN), in collaboration with Propcom+, convened stakeholders to review and harmonise the curriculum for Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs). This effort marks a critical step toward ensuring that last-mile animal health service delivery in Nigeria is standardised, effective, and responsive to both national livestock priorities and global best practices.
Livestock remains a cornerstone of rural livelihoods, food security, and income generation across Nigeria. Yet, access to professional veterinary services in underserved areas is still a major challenge. CAHWs—trained paraprofessionals who provide vaccinations, parasite treatments, first aid, surveillance, and advisory services—bridge this gap. However, variations in training curricula across states and institutions have resulted in inconsistencies in skills, certification, and quality of services.
Participants sharing experiences during the review
- Update training content to reflect emerging animal health challenges and global standards.
- Standardize training, delivery, and certification across Nigeria.
- Introduce competency-based modules and assessment tools.
- Provide clear guidelines for supervision, regulation, and integration of CAHWs into the national veterinary system.
The review workshop brought together representatives from the VCN, Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), training institutions, veterinarians, CAHWs, and the Academia. Using group work, plenary sessions, and expert-led discussions, participants identified core competencies, validated new modules, and developed implementation strategies.
What to Expect
- A harmonised, competency-based training framework.
- Defined modules, duration, and assessment tools.
- A clear implementation guide for training institutions.
The revised curriculum was validated and updated during the five-day event. The training guides, manuals and workbooks will be updated and integrated into the curriculum.
With this initiative, Nigeria is taking a bold step toward professionalising animal health services at the grassroots, strengthening food security, empowering rural farmers, and safeguarding national livestock productivity.
