The University of Ilorin Veterinary Teaching Hospital (UIVTH) at Sabo Oke, Ilorin, is ready for commissioning. Already, surgery is being carried out on animals and staffing has started. The Director of UIVTH, Prof Emmanuel Olugbenga Oyedipe told Unilorin Bulletin in his office last Friday (July 15, 2016) that work has reached advanced stage in the complex, adding that what remains is the continuous supply of equipment and machinery.

According to Prof. Oyedipe, "the University of Ilorin management has done very well providing resources to put together this facility". He said, "One thing that encourages management to embrace this project is the planning put in place at the on-set. The management, led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof AbdulGaniyu Ambali (OON), who is one of us, being a Professor of Veterinary Medicine himself, saw that we had a good plan".

The UIVTH complex comprises an Avian Clinic, Fish Clinic, Small Animal Clinic, Wild Life Clinic, Large Animal Clinic including Equine Clinic for horses, and Ruminants Clinic for large animals like cattle and small ones. It also has specialized clinics separately for surgery, medical group, laboratory investigations, X-ray and imagery, Necropsy or post mortem and Pharmacy.

The Professor of Theriogenology (the science of reproduction in animals which deals with production and management of reproductive animals) disclosed that 85 percent of the work is already completed. "What is left is instrumentation, that is, equipment supplies, equipment for laboratories and the clinics", he disclosed, explaining that "the more modern the equipment, the more precise and accurate the diagnosis".

Prof. Oyedipe recalled that "in time past, professionals use X-ray but now digital machines are employed for diagnosis that give comprehensive, detailed, accurate and precise results". The Director, who had earlier worked at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, and was instrumental to the establishment of a Veterinary Teaching Hospital in that University, stated that "that is in no way near this one". He said, "When I came here, I had the opportunity to deliver my dream of what a Veterinary Hospital should look like and I had a willing partner in the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ambali."

Prof. Oyedipe said, "The vision for this place is to have the best crop of trained Veterinarians, capable of meeting challenges of controlling diseases of animals including those that have implications for human and environmental welfare. We hope to create a link with practitioners on the field who are the ones in direct contact with users of our services for the efficient delivery of veterinary services in the catchment areas of the University of Ilorin, which are basically contiguous states to Kwara State".

He thanked the University management for the support and encouragement the veterinary hospital has been receiving.c