The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale, mni, FAS, fspsp, has charged inductees of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine never to stop being students of their profession.

He gave this charge at the 55th Oath Taking and Induction Ceremony of the 2024/2025 set of the faculty.

Professor Adebowale told the inductees that they were leaving the university with a world-class education, but warned them that learning does not stop at graduation.

He stated that new diseases emerge, new technologies are developed and new treatments are discovered, therefore, he admonished them to commit to lifelong learning, embrace the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) programme of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria, read journals and attend conferences, because stagnation is the enemy of a good doctor.

The Vice-Chancellor lamented that the lines between right and wrong are sometimes blurred in the society, and urged the inductees to let their ethical compass be unshakeable, encouraging them to be honest with their clients, transparent in their transactions and fair in their judgements.

He restated the University of Ibadan’s reputation of excellence and told them that the reputation of the university and that of their profession rest on the integrity of each individual practitioner and advised them not to compromise the reputation for any reason.

Professor Adebowale also noted that the best veterinarians are not just those with the sharpest minds, but those with the biggest heart.

Therefore, he urged the inductees to treat their patients with kindness and their owners with empathy, stating that behind every sick animal is often a worried owner, a family’s source of livelihood, or a beloved companion.

He congratulated them for successfully navigating one of the most demanding and competitive programmes in the university and told them that by earning their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from UI, they have proven that they possess the intellectual capacity, resilience, and character to stand among the best in the world.

The Chairman of the ceremony, the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly and former Chairman of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria, Rt. Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin said that the event was not just a ceremony, but a declaration of capacity, a validation of competence, and a statement of readiness for national service.

He noted that the induction ceremony marks a defining transition from academic training to professional responsibility for a new generation of veterinarians, warning that their field experiences will open them up to a new vista of experiential knowledge that transcends the ones gained in the classrooms.

Rt. Honourable Ogundoyin asserted that no nation can rise above the strength of its agricultural and veterinary systems and stressed that the veterinary profession is at the center of food security and public health.

He urged the faculty to sustain the high standards of training and endeavour to keep its curriculum in alignment with national priorities.

The Speaker also advised the university management to continue to lead, innovate, and set the pace for veterinary education in Africa, while calling on government and stakeholders to invest and support systems that make agriculture and veterinary practice viable, profitable, and sustainable.

He pledged his support for the faculty’s interest in advancing the Eruwa Veterinary Field Station which according to him occupies 2,000 acres of land along Eruwa-Igbo-Ora road, generously made available by the late Eleruwa, Oba Bolanle Olaniyan, and the Eleruwa-in-Council in 1977, saying the need to fully develop and utilize the facility has become urgent.

The Chairman of the ceremony said this venture aligns directly with the broader objective of ensuring homeland prosperity through enhanced food security, improved animal health systems and strengthened public health outcomes.

He advocated the constitution of a technical committee to produce a strategic framework for the development of the field station as a center for food safety, agricultural productivity, and economic advancement.

The Dean of Veterinary Medicine, Professor Babasola O. Olugasa in his welcome address disclosed that 54 inductees were being presented at the ceremony, saying it was a unique event being the first that the President-Elect of the World Veterinary Association, Dr Olatunji Nasir, a distinguished alumnus of the faculty, would attend and serve as Induction Lecturer.

The induction was also attended by the President of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN), Professor Matthew Adamu, FCVSN and the oath-taking was conducted by Dr Helen Okputa on behalf of the Ag. Registrar of VCN, Dr Oladotun Fadipe.

Certificates and Licenses of Practice were presented to the inductees, awards were given for outstanding academic performances and distinguished awards were presented to deserving alumni of the faculty as well as Faculty Merit Awards to eminent personalities.