FG to boost livestock business, strengthen PPP drive

The Federal Government has embraced the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative to enhance productive and commercially viable livestock production, aiming to boost the economy.

Sanusi Abubakar, national coordinator of the L-PRES World Bank Project in Nigeria, made the assertion during an assessment tour in Sokoto State on Wednesday.

L–PRES is a six-year project with a ‘Project Development Objective (PDO)’ to improve livestock productivity, resilience, and commercialization of selected value chains.

Abubakar stated that the PPP drive aimed to encourage, boost, and sustain entrepreneurial activities within the livestock sector of agriculture.

“The Federal Government is committed to the responsive implementation of its plans. This visit is to assess the state’s preparedness in achieving the project’s objectives,” he said.

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He emphasised that the government’s commitment included ensuring an enhanced PPP drive for reliable and profitable utilisation of key drivers and components.

“Today, we visited the state’s modern abattoir and dairy plant, among other critical facilities. We learnt about their production capacities through various stages of the process, from start to finish.

“I assure you that we are determined to strengthen both the quantity and quality of production through sustained intervention,” Abubakar explained.

He further said that Sokoto state has reached stage two of the positive driver, allowing L-PRES to advance its mission.

Abubakar highlighted that finance remained a crucial component of the project and assured that access to funding would be facilitated for those in the business.

He commended Governor Ahmed Aliyu for repositioning agriculture for viability.

Abdullahi Mijinyawa, the state chairman of the Livestock and Butchers’ Association, praised the L-PRES intervention in the state. He said that more cows, camels, and meat would be produced in larger quantities for both commercial and local consumption, including by-products.