By Peter Uwumarogie

The Federal Government, through the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), has approved the establishment of a model veterinary hospital in Gombe State.

The National Project Coordinator of L-PRES, Mr Sanusi Abubakar, made this known on Tuesday during a two-day technical visit to the state.

Abubakar led the site assessment team to inspect progress at the proposed location.

He said the decision to establish veterinary hospitals in selected geopolitical zones is aimed at improving access to quality animal healthcare across the country.

According to him, the proposed modern facility forms part of the next phase of infrastructure rollout under the L-PRES initiative.

Abubakar said the hospital is designed to strengthen animal health systems, improve disease surveillance, and enhance product certification for both domestic use and international trade.

The hospital will be located within the newly established 184-hectare Agro-Livestock Development Zone in Gombe.

During the site inspection, Abubakar expressed satisfaction with the contractor’s preparedness and the progress made so far.

“This is a pilot project. It has never been done anywhere in the country. Gombe is the first, and we hope the state will serve as a model for others,” he said.

He pledged the national office’s continued support for all livestock-related programmes in the state and assured of its commitment to the successful implementation of the hospital project.

Earlier, Gombe L-PRES Project Coordinator, Mr Usman Abubakar, said the project was a major milestone for the state.

He thanked the national office for choosing Gombe to host the strategic facility and reaffirmed the state’s readiness to support the project to completion.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the model veterinary hospital will serve as a centre for diagnosis, treatment, training, and research.

It is also expected to enhance livestock health and productivity across Gombe and the northern region. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Tosin Kolade