History, Aims and Objectives
The Department of Veterinary Surgery and Reproductive Medicine was founded as one of the six inaugural Departments of the newly created Faculty of Veterinary Medicine during the 1976/77 academic session. Before then, the newly created Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was under the Faculty of Agriculture. At inception of Department of Veterinary Surgery and Reproductive Medicine, there were seven academic staff namely: Mali, Omamaegbe, R.O.C. Kene, Deribe, Ibebunjo Obiwevi, Stella Okoye and C.A. Eze, which according to the master plan should have grown to at least twenty-four by now. This growth has never been achieved and currently, there are eight academic staff only in the Department (4 Senior Lecturers, 1 Lecturer I and 3 Lecturer II). This is so notwithstanding that the number of undergraduate and postgraduate students handled in the Department has respectively increased. The Department started in a building which it shares with Department of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Teaching Hospital and has not had any other building added since 1977. The Department of Veterinary Obstetrics and Reproductive Diseases was recently carved out of the Department of Veterinary Surgery and Reproductive Medicine and the current name of the department now is Veterinary Surgery and Radiology.
The aims and objectives for the founding of the Department were to provide standard and world-class veterinary surgery training and research facilities for undergraduate veterinary students, postgraduate and research scholars in various specialty areas of surgery and also to render effective diagnostic, preventive and public health services to livestock farmers, pet and companion animal owners, field veterinarians and the general public in veterinary surgery and diagnosis.
At inception, the Department was largely fulfilling its vision and mission objectives but with explosion in the number of students, non-replacement of retired and dead staff, lack of modern laboratory and diagnostic equipment, lack of funding and dilapidation of old and existing equipment, the Department is struggling to meet with its vision and mission objectives.
Vision Statement
To be a world-class veterinary surgery teaching, research and diagnostic centre offering cutting-edge services to the educational, livestock and public health sectors of the society.
Mission Statement
To provide standard and world-class veterinary surgery training and research facilities for undergraduate, postgraduate and research scholars in various specialty areas of surgery and also to render effective diagnostic, preventive and public health services to livestock farmers, pet and companion animal owners, field veterinarians and the general public.
Core Values of the Department
The Department has a principle of dedicated commitment, cooperation, thoroughness, transparent efficiency and purposeful organization in teaching and research, which guarantee the best output in our staff and students. Mentoring is the watch word in the Department and that is what the Department stands for.
Strengths of the Department
Our strength lies in our core values:
◘ A crop of few but well trained and highly motivated academics
◘ Commitment to hard work
◘ Effective management and utilization of meager resources
◘ Openness and teamwork.
Weaknesses of the Department
◘ Inadequate staffing
◘ Inadequate theatre, laboratory equipment and consumables
◘ Lack of lecture rooms/theatre
◘ Inadequate building/accommodation necessary for growth
◘ Lack of water in the Department
◘ Epileptic and seldom supply of power
◘ Lack of funds
Opportunities of the Department
◘ A major modern and state-of-the-art diagnostic centre for diseases in animals and humans.
◘ A centre for graduate training and cutting edge basic and applied research to address key problems in tropical veterinary and human medicine.
Threats to the Department
◘ Perennial lack of funds
◘ Inadequate infrastructure and research/diagnostic facilities
◘ Low patronage
◘ Inadequate staff mix
◘ Epileptic and seldom power supply
◘ Lack of water supply
◘ Delayed/denial/incomplete implementation of staff remuneration
Common Strategic Issues in Veterinary Surgery Departments in Nigeria
◘ Curriculum development
◘ Training DVM students in Veterinary Surgery
◘ Training graduate students in various specialty areas in surgery.
Product/Services of the Department
◘ Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) graduates
◘ Higher degree (M.Sc and Ph.D) graduates
◘ Technical training in laboratory methods and techniques
◘ Specialist diagnostic services to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and general public
◘ Consultancy services to intending poultry and livestock farmers
◘ Training students on industrial work experience
Stakeholders of the Department
◘ Veterinary students and their parents/guardians
◘ Livestock and poultry farmers (diagnostic, treatment and consultancy needs)
◘ The Police and military (Manpower needs)
◘ Customs, Civil Defence Corps, Prisons and the Federal Road Safety Corps (Manpower needs)
◘ Agro-related industries, Banks and Financial Institutions
◘ Universities and Agriculture Colleges (Manpower needs)
Core Competencies
◘ Higher education
◘ Teaching, basic and applied research
◘ Specialist diagnosis of surgical conditions
◘ Consultancy
Success Factors of the Department
◘ High percentage of completion by undergraduate and graduate students within regulation time
◘ High rate of employment of our products
◘ Successful self-employment by a good number of our products
Strategic Goals of the Department
◘ The Department aims at creation of conducive learning environment for quality learning and research.
◘ Restructuring of student surgical theatres (Small and Large animals) and provision of hydratic tables for surgical exercises
◘ Provision of more standard surgical equipments/instruments to make up for the deficiencies
◘ Purchase of current surgical textbooks and institutional subscriptions to e-library.
