Nigeria appoints first female Chief Veterinary Officer, Maimuna Abdullahi Habib

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has approved the appointment of Dr. Maimuna Abdullahi Habib as Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria

This was contained in a letter signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Olaniran Alabi.

According to the letter the appointment takes effect from March, 17^th, 2022.

Solacebase reports that Dr. Maimuna Habib is the first female to be appointed Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria.

Dr. Maimuna Abdullahi Habib, an indigene of Danbazzau town in Sumaila local government area of Kano State was born on 11th of January, 1963.

She graduated in 1987 with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, following which she had her compulsory National Youth Service between 1987 and 1988, with the Nigerian Police Force Veterinary Clinic, Obalende, Lagos.

She holds a Masters Degree in Preventive Veterinary Medicine (MPVM) from the University of California, Davis, CA, USA, obtained in 2002, and a second Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Lagos, obtained in 2006.

Dr. Maimuna Habib also holds a PhD from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in the area of Toxigenic molds Aflatoxins in animal food chain.

She joined the Federal Department of Livestock, Federal Ministry of Agriculture in April, 1989, as a Veterinary Officer II, and rose through the ranks to become the Chief Veterinary Officer (Director) in 2017.

Before then, she was head of Nigeria Veterinary Quarantine Services (NVQS) at the Murtala Mohammed International (MMIA) Airport from 1992 to 2000, and at the Apapa Wharf from 2002 to 2007. She was later transferred to the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS) after the harmonization of plant, animal and aquatic quarantine services of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in 2007, as Deputy Zonal Officer (South West Zone). In 2012, she was posted to the NAQS headquarters to take charge of Post entry animal inspection and surveillance in Nigeria. In 2015, she was posted to head the department of laboratory service of NAQS where she ensured compliance with SPS regulation for agricultural commodities meant for export and import.

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In March 2019, Dr. Habib was posted to head the projects Coordinating Unit of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to strengthen its activities due to failure of some development partners’ projects to achieve their objectives. In February 2020, Dr. Habib was again deployed to Federal Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services as the National Coordinator for the Control of Contagious Bovine Pleuro Pneumonia and Pests Des Petits Ruminants.

Dr. Habib is a member of many professional associations like the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, Mycotoxicology Society of Nigeria, African Women in Science, African Mycotoxin Network, Society for International Mycotoxin, African women in Agricultural Research and Development, Society for Applied Microbiology, Organization for Women in Science for the Developing Countries and African Women Entrepreneurs. Dr. Habib is married to Alhaji Abdullahi Habib (late) and blessed with seven children.

She is a fellow of the College of Veterinary Surgeons, Nigeria, and has trained in the USA, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Senegal, Kenya, Uganda, & Ethiopia on sampling, extraction & analysis of contaminated agricultural commodities for mycotoxins and other contaminants. She has authored a number of journal papers and contributed to academic publications.