Olu Samuel, Lokoja

30,000 livestock farmers in Kogi State would soon benefit from the 500 million dollars world bank intervention fund aimed at empowering livestock farmers across the country.

The project which has fully commenced is expected to captured 21,000 direct beneficiaries and 9,000 women beneficiaries in the state.

The Project Co-ordinator, Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) Kogi State Project Implementation Unit , Dr Olufemi Bolarin disclosed this in Lokoja during a two day Orientation Workshop on Thursday and Friday organised for members of L-PRES Project Implementation Unit (PIU)

The Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) is a multifaceted initiative aimed at enhancing the livestock sector in Nigeria, with Kogi State coming at the forefront of the project implementation.

According to him , the aim of the project was to improve the livestock production through the commercialization of the business to enhance profits for livestock farmers in the country, noting that the workshop which was all about concept, process and philosophy would drive the implementation of the project in Kogi state.

Dr Bolarin explained that the world bank in its quest to support livestock production in Nigeria has invested into the life cycle of the project across the country to the tone of $500 million , noting that states have already paid their resettlement funds for the project to commence.

He said “The States have given us the enabling environment for the project to commence. The target beneficiaries are the livestock farmers and we are planning that at the end of the day we should be able to reach directly to 50,000 livestock farmers in Kogi State and out of this figure 30 per cent will be allocated to women.

“Even those who rear animals at home , those operating at small, medium and large scale level will benefit from the project and they will make a lot of profits from the business”

Dr Bolarin who hinted that L-PRES will soon commenced profiling of livestock farmers in Kogi state, assured that the exercise would last for six years.

“To qualified for the project as a beneficiary you must have livestock either in micro, small, medium or large scale” he stated.

Speaking on the farmers/herders incessant clashes, the project coordinator attributed the crises to heavy competition for natural resources and assured that the project would invest the sum of $40 million to establish small , medium and large scale ranches.

“Grasses will be produced so that so that the animals will have enough food so that the issue of crises that often erupted between the farmers and herders will be minimized if not eradicated”

Others who spoke are the event includes Dr. Oyesola Olumide Oyebanji who is the Lead Coordinating Consulltant for Kogi L-PRES, the second resource person is Pastor Ajuwon Sola Samuel while Dr. Olufemi Bolarin is Kogi State L-PRES State Coordinator.