Don Identifies Impediments To Safe, Quality Animal Protein 

A Professor of Animal Physiology, Prof. Olusegun Osinowo has identified poor handling of animals and inadequate training as limitation to production of healthy and safe high quality animal protein.

Speaking at a two-day Workshop on Professionalism and Practice of Animal Handling and Restraining, organised by the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Institute of Food Security, Environmental Resources and Agricultural Research (IFSERAR), Osinowo lamented the state of animal handling in Nigeria, which he said suffers from acute shortage of needed training, equipment and infrastructure for efficient, safe and humane treatment of animals.

According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sophia Academic Services Limited, “animal handling refers to the numerous ways in which man interacts with livestock, pets or wildlife to control their feeding, movement, interaction with other animals, as well as their health and behaviour generally, so as to derive maximum benefit from them.”

Osinowo stressed the need for application of professionalism in animal handling and restraint, which he said should involve skillful application of specific techniques in safe humane ways to ensure good quality meat.

The pioneer Director of IFSERAR disclosed that “a visit to any abattoir or slaughter slab in most parts of the country will quickly reveal the inhumane handling of cattle before and during slaughter.”

Osinowo recommended the inclusion of animal handling and restraint in the Animal Science curriculum of Nigerian institutions, procurement of appropriate equipment by Universities to ensure adequate training of students and need for the enforcement of animal welfare regulations by the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS).

In his Address, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kolawole Salako, represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Morenike Dipeolu commended IFSERAR for championing the workshop, which took place in collaboration with the College of Veterinary Medicine (COLVET), the College of Animal Science and Livestock Production (COLANIM), with participants, which include farm attendants, animal handlers, livestock superintendents, Vet clinic attendants, experimental animal supervisors, potential farmers and students.