Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan Celebrates 60th Anniversary and 53rd Oath-taking/Induction Ceremony
The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan (UI), approved in June 1961 began her Veterinary degree programme in October 1963. Recently, the faculty celebrated 60 years of Veterinary Education and the 53rd Oath Taking and Induction Ceremony for the 2022/2023 veterinary graduates.
A total of 90 Veterinary Medical Doctors from the faculty took their oath and were inducted into the profession on the 2nd of August, 2024. This was part of the 60th anniversary celebration themed “60 years of Veterinary Education, the Goals, the Gains and the Gaps”. The Induction ceremony which held in the faculty auditorium was done in conjunction with the Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN). 
Professor K. O. Adebowale, the Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan who was the chief host of the occasion that was co-hosted by AIG (Dr) Aishatu A. Baju, the President of VCN saw 11 of the graduates finishing with distinctions are Dr ABIODUN-OJO Oluwaseyi Iyanuoluwa, Dr BELLO Olaoluwa Isaac,Dr GBORE Damilola John,Dr HAMZAT Abdulafees Ademola, Dr ONIPEDE Oluwatofunmi Endurance,Dr OPARA Alexio Nnaemeka,Dr OREMADE Tolulope Opeyemi, Dr OYATOYE Aishat Motunrayo,Dr TAIWO Deborah Oluwadamilola,Dr TAIWO Oluwatobiloba,Dr YAKUB Khairat Motunrayo.
 The oath taking segment of the occasion was administered by the Acting Registrar of VCN, Dr Oladotun E. Fadipe. 
Dr. Adebanji Adeniyi who was the Induction lecturer and an awardee at the ceremony spoke to the inductees about the importance of upholding professionalism and moral behaviour in the Veterinary Medical practice. Addressing the inductees too, the   Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Olufunke Ola-Davies, urged them to uphold the values of their profession by serving as exemplary ambassadors. Also, in a goodwill message by a first graduate of the faculty in the 1967 set, Professor Basil Orioghae Ikede congratulated the faculty on its achievement over the years in the training of veterinarians who has always contributed to research and education in Nigeria and across the world. In his message, Professor Basil Ikede welcomed the inductees into the profession and encouraged them to be confident in administering their profession and bear the name “Doctor” with pride and humility.
The occasion was graced with dignitaries from all walks of life. The Managing Director, Adamore Nig. LTD, Dr Musa Alasa Yusuf was the Chairman of the occasion. The Former Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency, Sen. Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja who was represented by Dr Suraju Ajiboye was the Father of the Day. The Mother of the Day was Dame Olufumilayo A. Agbato, the CEO of Animal Care Services Konsult Nigeria Ltd. 
The special guests of honour at the induction programme included the Oyo State Commissioner of Agriculture & rural development, Barr. Olasunkanmi Olaleye and Sir (Dr.) Kessington Adebunkunola Adebutu. 
Other dignitaries at the events were Prof. Peter Olapegba, Deputy Vice Chancellor administration, Prof Oyeronke A. Odunola (Dean, Faculty of Basic medical Sciences) representing the Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof Aderonke Baiyeroju, Dr Moses Arokoyo, President, Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association represented by Dr John Famoyin and many heads of departments. Distinguished awardees were Dr Tele Kolawole, Dr Asare Aboagye Yaw, Prof V.O. Taiwo, Dr Gani Adeniran, Dr Adebanji Adeniyi and Dame Olufunmilayo Agbato. 
The following inductees stood out among their mates and graduated at distinction level: Drs Abiodun-Ojo Oluwasegun Iyanuoluwa, Bello Olaoluwa Isaac, Gbore Damilola John, Hamzat Abdulafeez Ademola, Onipede Oluwatofunmi Endurance, Opera Alexio Nnaeemeka, Oremade Tolulope Opeyemi, Oyatoye Aishat Motunrayo, Taiwo Deborah Oluwadamilola, and Jakub Khairat Motunrayo. 
The class representative of the graduating class, Dr. Taofeek, who expressed gratitude to the lecturers, his colleagues, the inductees' parents, and well-wishers, gave the vote of thanks on behalf of the graduates. Dr. Joshua Oyewusi , on behalf of the parents of the inductees, thanked the Dean and lecturers at the UI's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. 
The five-day 60th anniversary celebration spanned through July 29 to August 2nd, 2024. During the celebration, the faculty rendered free anti-rabies vaccination for dogs at two different centers. Also, the faculty made provisions for free health check inclusive of eye investigations, blood pressure and blood sugar checks for interested individuals from 9am to 5pm on a daily basis within the faculty premises. This aspect of the celebrations was powered by Vanguard Pharmacy in conjunction with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. There was also a Vet fair gallery within the period. 
On the 29th of July 2024, being the first day of celebration for the 60th anniversary a funfair walk show by both staff and students led by the first female Dean and a woman of many firsts, Professor Olufunke E. Ola-Davies held within the University of Ibadan. The day also featured a dog show featuring several breeds of dogs.
The second day, July 30, was devoted to giving back to the community. The faculty invited ten secondary schools from within Ibadan for a career talk on the opportunities in the Veterinary Medicine Profession. The panellists were drawn from among past graduates of the faculty and included Dr Olukayode Bakre, Dr Taiwo Alabi, CEO of Crown Agro-Veterinary Konsult in River State, Nigeria, and Dr Yusuf Adeiza, Deputy Director of NAFDAC's Veterinary Medicine Division.  During the talk, the Dean welcomed the secondary school students and also gave them an overview of her role as a professor and veterinarian. Professor M.O. Oyeyemi served as the chairman for the panel session. On the same day a group of Faculty members led by the Dean visited an orphanage in Ibadan and presented them with gifts.
The pre-induction dinner and alumni homecoming took place on the day 3 of the 60th anniversary celebration, July 31 at the Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan. Chief Prof Ebenezer Obey, a modern-day music legend, performed at the dinner. Aare Kolawole Oyefeso spoke on behalf of Chief Kessington A. Adebutu, the chairman of the occasion. Pastor Oladotun Ajayi gave the inductees a charge to be purpose driven in carrying out their duties. Dignitaries at the dinner who gave goodwill messages were Professor K.O. Adebowale, the Vice Chancellor ably represented by Prof. Peter Olapegba, the Deputy Vice Chancellor administration, Prof Oluyemisi Bamgbose SAN, Deputy Vice Chancellor RISP, the University Librarian-Dr Mercy Iroaganachi, the Registrar Mr Ganiyu Saliu, Dr Gani Adeniran, a renown veterinarian and retired faculty member; Dr. Ibikunle Faramade, the president of the alumni association, Prof Helen Nottidge and Professor Olusegun O. Oduye, the former Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics, University of Ibadan, In addition, the CEO of Vanguard Pharmacy, Pharm Taofeek O. Odukoya gave the second charge, inspiring them to be visionary and hardworking. Amid the eating, dancing and celebration that evening, awards were given to deserving individuals and students.  
 An anniversary lecture and a novelty match took place on the fourth day of the anniversary event, August 1, 2024. Professor Oyewole Tomori was the Anniversary speaker. He spoke on the topic “60 years of Veterinary Education, the Goals, the Gains and the Gaps” popularly called the 3Gs.  Later on the same day, there was a novelty match between the alumni and students of the faculty.
In an exclusive interview with CEO Africa, Professor Olufunke E. Ola-Davies, was ecstatic to be leading the faculty during this auspicious celebration and expressed gratitude to God for it. In her own words, “the faculty, was operating under interim accreditation when I took over office, obtained full accreditation from the National University Commission (NUC) in a matter of months after I assumed leadership”. 
She thanked the university management that provided her with a strong platform to lead after being elected as the Dean. Some of her notable achievements included the establishment of the Alumni Association of the faculty.
On staff promotion, she maintained that since she assumed office as the Dean, five Readers, six Senior Lecturers and fifteen Professors were promoted in the faculty. In addition, twenty-three new lecturers were employed. The students were not left out either, as 12 of them received scholarships with full tuition and monthly stipends of N30,000 within this tenure from an alumnus of the faculty. 
The faculty has taken a new look in relation to infrastructural development including facilitating the completion of the Virology and Parasitology Laboratory, renovation and painting of the faculty administrative building (White House), donation of a R&D building, the renovation of the faculty boardroom; the renovation of the faculty auditorium, Dean’s conference room as well as the clinical and preclinical classrooms. Also on the list are the digital room with computers and 5.4kva inverter, 10 acer projectors distributed in to the 10 departments, and the construction of a walkway leading to the auditorium.  
 The Dean also reported that the faculty now possesses new equipment, inclusive of six binocular microscopes, a compound microscope, two ultrasound machines, a semi-automated microtome, a spectrophotometer, blood pressure monitor, two otoscopes, a large animal weighing scale and a digital X-ray machine in addition to a 45 kVA Mikano generator to assist in power generation in the faculty auditorium