STRUCTURAL REFORM OF VETERINARY SERVICES IN NORTHWESTERN NIGERIA: HERDERS' RESPONSE TO SERVICE COST AND FEASIBILITY OF PRIVATE DELIVERY
STRUCTURAL REFORM OF VETERINARY SERVICES IN NORTHWESTERN NIGERIA: HERDERS' RESPONSE TO SERVICE COST AND FEASIBILITY OF PRIVATE DELIVERY
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Date
1999-12
Authors
KPOTUN, MOHAMMED BABA
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Abstract
It appears that the present economic crisis has caused inadequate funding of
veterinary services leading to their ineffectiveness, high livestock morbidity and mortality
and the consequent low productivity in the livestock sub-sector. In an apparent effort to
ensure better funding of veterinary services, some donor-assisted projects in north-western
Nigeria, have started experimenting with structural reform by introducing cost-recovery
and inviting private veterinarians to establish practices.
While there is inherent logic in making those who use veterinary services to pay
for them, it appears that the full implications of privatization of veterinary services have
not been sufficiently examined. The objectives of this study, therefore, were to examine
the response of pastoralists to the cost of veterinary services, the economic feasibility of
private practice and the institutional environment necessary for the success of
privatization. The study also compared the effectiveness of veterinary services between
an area where reform in terms of cost-recovery has been attempted and where no reform
has been made.
A field survey covering Fulani pastoralists and veterinary personnel was conducted
in north-western Nigeria between 1996 and 1997. Cluster sampling, based on the major
provider of veterinary services, was used in selecting 150 herders in the Zamfara Grazing
Reserve (covering Kaura Namoda, Zurmi and Birnin Magaji Local Government Areas)
where Zamfara Environmental Protection Agency has introduced cost-recovery, and 150
from Wurno, Rabah and Goronyo Local Government Areas where the Sokoto State
Ministry of Agricultue is the major provider. The veterinary personnel who were randomly
sampled consisted of six professional veterinarians and nine paraprofessionals working
with the Sokoto State Ministry of Agriculture, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto and
Zamfara Environmental Protection Agency. The data collected were analysed using
descriptive statistics, multiple regression and farm (break-even) budgeting.
The study revealed that the provision of veterinary services in the area was
dominated by the three state governments (that is, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara) working
through their respective ministries of agriculture or through donor-assisted projects such
as the Zamfara Environmental Protection Agency and the Second Pilot Livestock
Development Project (SPLDP), The services of the state governments, however, is now
mainly reduced to annual vaccination campaigns with the exception of skeletal curative
services provided by zonal veterinary clinics located in the three state capitals.
There was one professional to 53,315 veterinary livestock units (VLUs) and one
paraprofessional to 15,328 VLUs; both ratios exceeded the recommended ratios
suggesting under-supply of veterinary personnel.
It was found that veterinary services, as measured by proximity to a functional
veterinary service post, number of sick animals,as well as calving and calf mortality rates,
were more effective where cost-recovery has been attempted. Majority (75%) of the
herders considered it proper for them to pay for veterinary services and some even paid
for goods with negative or positive externalities suggesting that a wide range of veterinary
services could be suitable for privatization. The demand functions estimated revealed low
response of herders to cost of service which is a further indication of their willingness to
pay.
The study revealed that private provision was potentially feasible since the actual
veterinary livestock units per unit area exceeded the number of units required to breakeven.
Infact, providers could make reasonable additional incomes
Some of the necessary institutional mechanisms examined were with respect to the
determination of who should be allowed to establish a private practice, provider selection
and regulation procedures, provision of basic infrastructural facilities, information
dissemination mechanisms, and provision of take-off capital. Regarding the selection and
regulation of private providers, short-term competitive franchise bidding in which herders
or their cooperatives and the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association would play active
roles was advocated
Description
A Dissertation Submitted to the Postgraduate School, Ahmadu Bello
University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Agricultural Economics.
Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology,
Faculty of Agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University. Zaria.
December, 1999
Keywords
STRUCTURAL REFORM,, VETERINARY,, SERVICES,, NORTHWESTERN NIGERIA:, HERDERS',, RESPONSE,, FEASIBILITY,, PRIVATE DELIVERY