Brief History The College was established in 1941, as Veterinary School, Vom, with a total of ten students. Some of these, registered for Veterinary Assistants (junior course), Veterinary Assistants (senior course) and others as Veterinary Officers. The School has the credit of being the first Higher Institution in West Africa to produce graduate Veterinary Surgeons long before the first University was established in Nigeria, at Ibadan in 1948. The school also played a key role, especially between 1947 and 1962, in training middle level veterinary manpower for other African Countries, notably the Cameroons, Liberia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Ethiopia and Sudan. On establishment of University College at Ibadan, it was recommended that the higher training to the Veterinary Officers’ level be consigned to the University. Consequently, the Veterinary School, Vom, discontinued the Veterinary Officers’ course in June, 1950, and thereafter concentrated entirely on running only one course, namely a 2 year Veterinary Assistants’ Course. In March, 1980, the Veterinary School was formally accorded a college status and renamed College of Animal Health and Husbandry with a mandate to award Ordinary and Higher Diplomas. With the establishment of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) by the Federal Military Government of Nigeria, and the subsequent accreditation visitation to the College in 1983, the diploma programmes were suspended in 1988. However, with the approval granted the College by the NBTE in 1989 and 1992, for National Diploma (ND) programmes in Animal Health and Production and the Higher National Diploma (HND) in Animal Health respectively a set of students were enrolled. It will be mentioned that the College was again renamed the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology on the 29th January, 1991.
Decree Establishing the College The National Science and Technology Amendment Decree No. 46 of 30th December, 1990, give legal backing to the Research Institute to conduct training for the technicians and technologists for the award of National Diploma (ND), Higher National Diploma (HND) and Certificates. Mandate: Training of middle level manpower in Animal Health, Animal Production, Livestock Extension/ Management Services and Vocational Training who could effectively utilize their training to establish and manage livestock farms. Vision: To be the foremost institution in Africa, with qualified professionals to train and produce internationally recognized middle- level manpower equipped with knowledge, skills and attitudes in Animal Health, Production and Extension Services. Mission: To provide middle level technical manpower in the area of Animal Health and Production Technology who could effectively utilize the acquired knowledge to establish and manage livestock farms to maximum advantage.
To produce extension staff who should be able to bring the result of agro-veterinary Research and innovation to the livestock farmers and feed back the farmers’ problems to the appropriate authorities for solutions.