The chief executive is Maryam Muhammad, a veterinary doctor with research interests in the molecular epidemiology of Salmonella in poultry, public health and environment and development.
[1][2][3] The National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) was established in 1924 to eradicate the outbreak of rinderpest that was rampant among cattle in Nigeria and West Africa between 1885 and 1890 and again between 1913 and 1914.
It also hosts the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) regional laboratory for transboundary animal diseases, including avian influenza for West and Central Africa.
In 1963, the curriculum of the veterinary school was expanded and a new course, Diploma in Animal Health and Husbandry, was introduced.
In 2022, together with the Pirbright Institute and the Royal Veterinary College, London, NVRI researched on how to reduce and eradicate sheeppox and goatpox.
[17] The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had rated the pace of production of vaccines by NVRI as slow and not enough to fully combat pests that are attacking livestock in the country.