A professor in the Department of Veterinary Surgery and Theriogenology at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Adetola Ajadi, has announced a N1m donation to be awarded to the best graduating student in his department during the university’s forthcoming 33rd convocation ceremony.
The donation, made on behalf of his siblings, was announced while Ajadi delivered a lecture titled “The Silent Voices: Recognising and Relieving Pain in Animals for Better Welfare.”
Ajadi said the award is aimed at motivating students to excel academically while promoting best practices in animal care.
Ajadi, who has spent years researching animal welfare, also called for adequate institutional support and policy reforms in Nigeria.
“Improved animal welfare through enhanced scientific understanding and evidence-based policy reforms is essential. Animals experience pain as acutely as humans, even though they cannot verbally express it,” he said.
He highlighted physiological and behavioural indicators of animal distress, including altered posture, abnormal vocalisation, and increased heart rates, stressing that they require urgent attention from veterinarians and animal handlers.
“Recognising and relieving pain and stress in animals is vital for promoting better care, ensuring ethical treatment, and enhancing productivity,” he said.
The professor further discussed pharmacological interventions for pain management in animals, including ketamine, tramadol, midazolam, and gabapentin.
While identifying tramadol’s effectiveness varies across species, he described gabapentin as a promising non-opioid analgesic, particularly useful in pre-surgical pain management where opioid use is restricted.
Addressing chronic pain conditions, Ajadi noted osteoarthritis as a major concern and recommended affordable biomarkers like erythrocyte sedimentation rate and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio for monitoring disease progression in dogs.
He also shared preliminary findings suggesting snail mucin may possess disease-modifying properties, pending further clinical validation.
The FUNAAB Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, commended Ajadi for his contribution to veterinary medicine, describing him as “a complete academic and a foremost authority whose work continues to add value to scholarship and animal welfare globally.”
He noted that Ajadi’s ₦1 million donation will inspire excellence, reward dedication, and reinforce the importance of animal welfare among the next generation of veterinary professionals.
The professor also highlighted the link between pain and stress in animals, advising that administering gabapentin before veterinary visits can reduce anxiety in cats, while rough handling of cattle during transportation elevates stress hormones and weakens immunity.
It would be recalled that the President of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, Dr Moses Arokoya, recently noted that Nigeria is a livestock powerhouse with over 400 million animals.
He said that if properly harnessed, the sector could transform the country’s economy and guarantee food self-sufficiency.
Speaking in Jalingo during the NVMA’s 61st Annual General Meeting, Dr Arokoya revealed that Africa has about 522 million goats, with Nigeria accounting for 89 million, meaning one out of every six goats on the continent is in the country.
Despite this potential, he lamented that the industry is constrained by inadequate manpower and limited government investment.
