EVALUATION OF THE USAID-ASSISTED PROJECT #620-11-110-817, AGRICULTURAL ASSISTANCE TO AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY-VETERINARY MEDICINE FACULTY

THE MOST OBVIOUS SOLUTION FOR THIS WOULD BE TO CONSOLIDATE THE IBADAN AND AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY (ABU) TRAINING PROGRAMS INTO A SINGLE REDUCED-SCALE OPERATION. DISCUSSIONS WITH KEY MEMBERS OF THE VETERINARY WORKING COMMUNITY INDICATED A FAVORABLE ATTITUDE TOWARD THE PERFORMANCE OF ABU VETERINARY GRADUATES, BUT ALSO SUPPORTED PROPOSALS THAT INCREASED CLASSROOM TIME BE DEVOTED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND THAT COURSES BE OFFERED IN VERTEBRATE AND MAMMALIAN ZOOLOGY, APPLIED BOTANY, SOCIOLOGY, AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, STATISTICS, AND ANIMAL ECOLOGY. ON THE BASIS OF DISCUSSIONS IN THE FIELD, INCREASED TRAINING IN PREVENTIVE MEDICINE, EPIDEMIOLOGY AND GRASSLAND FARMING WERE ALSO RECOMMENDED. THE EVALUATION SUPPORTS THE PLANS TO INCREASE THE ABU VETERINARY RESEARCH PROGRAM; THE OUTLINED RESEARCH PROGRAM PLAN APPEARS WELL CONCEIVED AND SHOULD BE APPROVED. THE EVALUATION ALSO DISCUSSES CONTINUING EDUCATION, MAINTENANCE OF FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT, INCREASING EFFECTIVENESS IN THE VETERINARY ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICAN TEXTS AND REFERENCES IN ANIMAL HEALTH AND PRODUCTION, AND VACATION ASSIGNMENTS FOR ABU VETERINARY STUDENTS.