Budgetary Allocation: NASS C’ttee pledges upward review to agencies
By Tom Okpe
The Joint Committee on Livestock of the National Assembly, Senate and the House of Representatives, resolved on Thursday, to ensure improvement in the proposed 2025 budgetary allocation for Veterinary Institute of Nigeria, considering its relevance in providing vaccines to contain spread of diseases around the country.
The Committee gave the assurance to the institute during the 2025 budget defence session it held in Abuja.
Chairman Senate Committee on Livestock, Senator Musa Mustapha, responding to the institute demand said: “We, the Committee members, need to come on board to assist the institute to get more support in vaccines production.”
In his address, Co- Chairman of the committee, Rep Wale Raji said there is need to make case for the institute because they are the pillars in Livestock Ministry.
According to Rep Raji, when talking about vaccines production, it would have been expected of the institute to state what is required for massive production.
The Committee further observed that in the institute 2024 budget performance more expenses were channelled to the purchase of diesel.
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This the institute however, explained that most of its machines, capacity for storage of the vaccines can only be powered by high voltage, not the use of solar panels.
Earlier, Director General of Veterinary Institute of Nigeria, Dr Maryann Muhammad said the proposed budgetary allocation of N900 million for the institute is grossly inadequate.
When inquired of its response on outbreak of diseases in the country, she revealed that over 40 million doses of vaccines were produced as soon as they hear of an outbreak in a neighbouring country adding that; “we need a facility that can produce up to 8 million doses of vaccines,” she said.
Other agencies who had its 2025 budget defence session include Federal Colleges of Animal Health and Production Technology, Mubi, Ibadan and Zaria.
These colleges further called for more budgetary allocation, while reeling out their challenges to the Committee.
The Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology Mubi, whose proposed 2025 budgetary allocation is over N2.7 billion, the Committee observed that it only generated less than N1 million as revenue for 2024.
The College Provost, Dr Jude Okpara however, explained that they are not expected to generate revenue rather they are to spend 75% and remit 25%.
The Committee later agreed to this saying it is a general waiver.
