Dr. Akpem Terese Shadrach is a visionary veterinarian and social entrepreneur with over seven years of experience in animal health, agriculture, and sustainable development. He is the founder of Vet Konect, a digital platform that provides animal health coverage to livestock farmers and pet owners across Nigeria and other African countries, with a goal to reach 5 million Africans by 2030.
His commitment to empowering youth is evident in his role as Community Managers’ lead at Mind the Gap, where he has trained over 30,000 young people in digital skills, fostering opportunities for job seekers and entrepreneurs.
In addition to his entrepreneurial pursuits, Dr. Shadrach has spearheaded significant initiatives through the Nigeria Youth SDGs Network, including the nationwide Youth Dialogue 2019 and the Skills for Employment Program, enhancing the digital capabilities of youth in multiple states.
His accolades, such as the Hero Kickstart Foundation Grant and recognition as a 2023 Mandela Washington Fellow, reflect his impact and dedication to social entrepreneurship and capacity building. As a business mentor, he continues to facilitate entrepreneurship development for startups in Nigeria, embodying a true catalyst for sustainable development across the African continent.
What inspired you to start Vet Konect?
I started Vet Konect to address the critical gap in access to animal care for both livestock farmers and pet owners across Nigeria.
With a very limited number of animal health professionals compared to the number of animal owners, it became clear to me that technology was our best bet to scale impact. Witnessing the devastating effects of diseases on these animals, which in turn affect millions of lives and livelihoods, prompted me to take the first step forward.
Today, I am proud to connect thousands across Nigeria and other African countries through technology.
How do you plan to achieve your vision of providing animal health coverage for 5 million Africans by 2030?
Africa is home to over 700 million livestock farmers, according to data from the International Livestock Research Institute, with 100 million of those in Nigeria.
I haven’t even mentioned pet owners yet. When you consider these numbers, it’s an uphill task to close the access gap for such a large population. However, I aim to meet the needs of less than 10%.
This year alone, we have captured data from over 90,000 livestock farmers across Nigeria. While the journey has not been easy, I believe in making progress, no matter how small.
My strategy moving forward is to leverage partnerships. We have over 5,000 enumerators ready to work, but our limitation lies in funding support. Securing organizations and donor partners willing to back us makes this goal achievable.
By 2030, I envision that 5 million will be a baseline for connecting every animal owner on the African continent, regardless of distance.
What role does technology play in Vet Konect’s operations?
Vet Konect is a digital-first solution. We are fully technology-driven, leveraging mobile connectivity and artificial intelligence to achieve our goal of providing animal care coverage and social protection for animal owners.
We are proud to have aggregated over 3,000 animal health professionals and served over 20,000 animal owners since our launch. There is much more to do, and we are ready to keep moving forward. You can check us out at www.vetkonect.com.
How do you balance your work in animal health, agribusiness, and youth empowerment?
I consider myself a versatile individual and took the initiative early in my professional journey to build cross-cutting capabilities that extend my areas of impact, influence, and expertise in sectors I am passionate about.
I must admit it hasn’t been easy juggling these responsibilities, but my ability to build systems early and empower my team has helped. Working with limited resources has taught me resilience.
I don’t complain when resources are scarce; instead, I focus on maximizing what I have while seeking better resources. I hope to continue strengthening this approach because I believe we all have the capacity to explore our diverse strengths, contributing to a better world. This is my philosophy.
What challenges have you faced in scaling Vet Konect?
Building and scaling Vet Konect has presented a mix of challenges. The first was framing the idea, which I quickly realized would continue to evolve.
Then, there’s the challenge of funding; we bootstrapped much of our journey. 2024 has been a huge blessing, and I am grateful I didn’t give up in previous years. Additionally, talent acquisition has been a challenge.
Talent isn’t cheap, and I believe in building and growing a strong team. I am hopeful for opportunities that will put my team on learning paths to enhance their skills. Amidst these challenges, we keep making progress and learning along the way.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs?
Good things take time, and it’s important for everyone seeking to bring a vision or dream to reality to understand this. We must also learn to trust the journey and enjoy it.
Remember, your biggest assets are people—your team, partners, and family. Finally, consistency pays off. What our generation often lacks is not hard work, but consistency.
If you remain consistent with a clearly established vision of what you want to achieve, you will be unstoppable, no matter how many doors close in your face
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