World Bank implements support mission in Kogi to boost livestock production

…as Ododo flags off private veterinary practice programme

A team of experts from the World Bank over the weekend visited Kogi State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) as part of an implementation support mission to boost livestock production and food security in the State.

The delegation was led by Manieyel Sene, the task team leader for the L-PRES Project, while team members included, Chidozie Onyedikachi Anyiro, the co-task team leader and Sanusi Abubakar, the national project co-ordinator.

BusinessDay reports that the two-day visit, marked the launch of the Fourth Implementation Support Mission (ISM) of the project and provided the team with an opportunity to engage critical stakeholders, inspect project activities, and offer technical advice where necessary.

Sene urged the State Implementation Committee and project leadership in Kogi State to work diligently to ensure the project positively impacts the lives of the people , stressing that the project’s implementation was on track, and emphasised the importance of adhering strictly to the strategic plan to maximise its benefits for livestock farmers and the broader population of Kogi State.
Meanwhile, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State has flagged off Private Veterinary Practice Programme (PVP) aimed at ensuring the consumption of safe and healthy livestock in the State.

Governor Ododo pointed out that livestock farming plays a critical role in the strategy to ensure food security and drive industrialization in the State, just as he urged critical stakeholders in the Agriculture Sector to work together to ensure that the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) succeeded in Kogi State.

He said, “Livestock farming plays a critical role in our strategy to ensure food security in the State and drive industrialization. I pledge our full cooperation with all stakeholders in the food value chain to achieve large scale livestock farming in Kogi State.

“We are prepared to implement the necessary legal and administrative framework and affirm to eliminate any obstacle that hinders investments in this vital sector”.

Governor Ododo however commended the World Bank team for the support, especially in the establishment of Livestock Service Centre (LSC) in the State, assuring government’s commitment to taking full advantage of the project for the benefit of the people.

He said, “We are all coordinators in this project, and we will see to its success.. Let me at this point warn those people at the helm of affairs in the state, this is not going to be a project that we will play with. Because for the past four to five months, I have seen the role that L-PRES has played in the lives of our people.”