University LINKs Scheme
Africa and Middle East
Select an entry in the table below to view contact details and news for that LINK
Dr Ojelade Oluwaseun
Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management
Email: ojeladeoc@funaab.edu.ng
2022
ANIMAL WELFARE STUDENT CLUB FUNAAB (AWSCF) STUDENT DISCUSSION
Following the Animal Welfare Student Club FUNAAB (AWSCF) official inauguration on November 17, 2021, the students had their first event on Wednesday, April 6, 2022. The student discussion focused on key animal welfare issues in Nigeria, including:
- The Nigerian culture and animal welfare
- The impact of biosecurity on animal welfare
- The effects of economic insecurity on animal welfare
Our panelists include: Ismalia Emmanuel, Adeniji Olufemi, Babalola Barnabas, Hunge Silas, Oliyide Kolade, Abayomi Tomori, Oyekunle Oluwatowo, and Bomodeouku Gbolahan. The discussion was moderated by the Student Club President, Oyeniran Victor. The meeting was attended by over 25 participants.
Dr Olufemi Alabi
Department of Animal Science and Fisheries Management
email: olufemi.alabi@bowen.edu.ng
2022
REPORT ON THE SENSITIZATION WORKSHOP ON ANIMAL WELFARE HELD ON MAY 17TH, 2022 AT BOWEN UNIVERSITY, IWO, NIGERIA
The program whose main objective was to create awareness about animal welfare and rights among students, researchers, livestock farmers, animal transporters and processors was done on May 17th, 2022 with the support of Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) and hosted by the UFAW Link, Prof. Olufemi Alabi and the Animal Welfare Group with the approval of Bowen University, Iwo, Nigeria.
The program had in attendance students from Agriculture, Law, Sociology, Biological and Biomedical Sciences; lecturers ,researchers and technologists from these programmes within Bowen University; stakeholders such as livestock farmers, animal transporters, abattoir operators from Iwo, Oluponna, Kuta, Ile-ogbo and neighboring towns and 216 people attended the program.
Dr Samuel Nyaga
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery
Email: nderitunyaga@gmail.com / samuel.nyaga@egerton.ac.ke
2023
In September 2023, UFAW supported an animal welfare seminar organised by the Animal Welfare Club at Egerton University, Kenya. Whilst the Animal Welfare Club has been in existence for some time, the organisers hoped that their recent affiliation with the UFAW LINKS scheme would help to invigorate the club and allow them to be more active within the university community.
The seminar brought together six speakers from industry, with a particular focus on farm animal welfare:
· Dennis Kigiri – Nakuru Living Lab
· Dr Gilbert Kirui – Engerton University
· Dr Mosiany Kisipan – Egerton University
· Dr Mike Muigai – Northrift Veterinary Service
· Dr Richard Kibochi – Vetcare Initiative
· Elkam Ekwam – Utuzi Initiative
The event aimed to stimulate increased student engagement in farm animal welfare in Kenya and was attended by 72 students from different disciplines.
A key aim of the UFAW LINKS scheme is to ensure that students at staff at participating institutions remain well-informed about UFAW’s ongoing activities, grants, awards and other opportunities. As the first UFAW-supported event at Egerton University, Dr Samuel Nyaga (UFAW LINK, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery) explained the work of UFAW to attendees, including an interactive walk-through of the UFAW website.
Thanks to all who participated.
Mr Femi Oyeniyi
Department of Agricultural Technology
Email: oyeniyifg@ekscat.edu.ng
2024
2022/23
Launch of the Animal Welfare Club at Ekiti State Polytechnic
The inaugural meeting of the animal welfare club at Ekiti State Polytechnic was held on 9 June 2023, The meeting started with the national and state anthem.
The Rector's representative, Dr. John Akerele, welcomed the guests to the high table, including the Dean of Students Affairs, Dr. Kehinde Adeboye, invited lecturers, Professor Olufemi Alabi and D. Oluwaseun Iyasere (who joined online), the Head of the Department of Agricultural Technology, Dr. Moses Akinsuyi and Barrister Balogun. Dr. Akerele welcomed everyone to the launch and emphasized the significance of the Anthropocene and the need to care for animals in his opening remarks. He especially thanked UFAW for their support of the new club. A pre-recorded talk by Dr. Stephen Wickens, Development Officer at UFAW, was then shown in which he outlined the activities of UFAW and the programs of support offered to help staff and students improve their understanding of animal welfare science.
The next speaker was Prof. Alabi who talked on how animal welfare affects human wellbeing in Nigeria. He explained the benefits of treating animals well for both humans and animals. The students asked many questions and learned a lot. The second talk was by Dr. Iyasere, who joined online. She talked about how to love animals and overcome cultural biases and fears. The last speaker was Seun Balogun, who educated the audience on animal rights. She cited some sections of the Nigerian constitution that protect animal rights and welfare, and the penalties for violating them.
The climax of the meeting was the launch of the Animal Welfare Club by the Dean of Students Affairs, Dr. Adeboye. Founding members, and UFAW LINK, Femi Gabriel Oyeniyi, Dr Akinsuyi, and Scholar Ajayi were praised for their work in launching the club. They in turn invited interested students and staff to join the club and listed some activities they planned to do in the coming year.
Visit to Ekiti State Abattoir
The Agricultural Technology Department of Ekiti State Polytechnic organized an excursion to the Ekiti State Abattoir for its first and second year students on 25 May 2023. The excursion was sponsored by UFAW and facilitated by Mr. Femi Oyeniyi, the UFAW LINK Person at the polytechnic. The students were welcomed by the veterinary surgeon in charge of the abattoir. He briefed students about key operations that take place in an abattoir and they moved through various sectors (lairage, slaughter hall, receiving area, weighing cabin, condemned meat room amongst others). He also highlighted the challenges and risks posed by those who try to evade the quality control and safety measures at the abattoir. The visit finished with questions from the students.
Samuel Ogah
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture
Email: amuelogah44@gmail.com
Dr Saeed Shafiei Sabet
Faculty of Natural Resources
Email: saeedfisheries@gmail.com
Mr Roi Mandel/Mr Eyal Klement
Koret School of Veterinary Medicine
Email: roi.mandel@mail.huji.ac.il
eyal.klement@gmail.com
Dr Alarape Selim Adewale
Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine
Email: link2sas@gmail.com
Dr Folashade Helen Olaifa
Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry
Email olaifa.fh@unilorin.edu.ng
Dr Sylvia Nalubwama
College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources & Biosecurity
Email: drnalubwama@gmail.com
2024
The Animal Welfare Club at Makerere University has successfully launched several initiatives to raise awareness of animal welfare among students, with the aim of improving animal welfare practices in Uganda.
Led by the club's committee, key activities funded by UFAW included:
- Animal Welfare Week: Practical activities such as deworming, grooming, and farm animal care were conducted at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources, and Biosecurity (COVAB) to highlight the importance of animal care.
- Cross-college outreach: The club reached out to 210 students within COVAB and 647 students in other colleges of Makerere University, raising awareness and encouraging discussions about animal welfare.
- Experiential learning: A visit to the Uganda Society for Protection and Care of Animals (USPCA) provided hands-on learning experiences for 30 students, covering various animal care practices.
- Classroom discussions: The club engaged first-year COVAB students in discussions on animal welfare, fostering a deeper understanding of the subject.
- Newsletter campaign: Regular newsletters were created and distributed on social media to inform students about animal welfare.
- Promotional materials: The club produced T-shirts, notebooks, pens, brochures, and a signpost to promote animal welfare and increase the club's visibility.
Dr David Obiero
Department of Animal Health and Production
Email: dr.obiero@gmail.com
2023
Report on seminar for Animal Welfare Club at Maasai Mara University held on 21st March 2023, supported by UFAW
Introduction
The Department of Animal Health and Production organized a half-day seminar on “Companion and Wildlife Animals Welfare” on March 21st, 2023 in Mau Complex, M6-01 lecture hall. The seminar focused on companion small animal welfare experiences from Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (KSPCA) and wildlife animal welfare experiences from Kenya. The programme started at 10:20 am with a welcome address by the chair of the department, Dr. Waweru Kamundia. The invited guests included Dr. Dennis Bahati, and Dr. James Nyariki Ombati. Interested members of the school and students from school of natural resources tourism and hospitality and Department of Animal Health and Production were also invited in seminar.
Dr Y Baby Kaurivi
School of Veterinary Medicine
Email: ybabyk16@yahoo.com
Professor Chinedu Eze
Department of Veterinary Surgery
Email: chinedu.eze@unn.edu.ng
Dr Peter Kimeli
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
Email: kimeli08@uonbi.ac.ke
Professor Oyebanji Bukola
Dept of Animal Sciences
Email: oyebanji.bukola44@gmail.com
Boma Victor Iriso
Faculty of Agriculture
Email: boma.iriso@uniport.edu.ng
Professor Andre Ganswindt
Mammal Research Institute
Email: andre.ganswindt@up.ac.za
Dr Richard Samson
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Email: richard.samson@sua.ac.tz