joshuaSUCCESS STORIES OF KOGI L-PRES UNDER DR. OLUFEMI BOLARIN
The Livestock Productivity and Resilience Enhancement Project (L-PRES) has continued to make a significant impact in livestock production in Kogi State. In this Feature, Daniel Ozigi, a Lokoja based Public Affairs Commentator writes on the success story of the project under Dr. Olufemi Bolarin as State Project Coordinator.
Livestock Productivity and Resilience Enhancement Project (L-PRES) is a 6 Year World Bank Intervention with Development Objective to improve livestock productivity, resilience and commercialization of selected value chains.
The Project is also aimed at strengthening the nation’s capacity to respond to an eligible crisis or emergency in the area of Livestock farming and it is pivotal to Nigeria’s economy and poverty alleviation.
The importance of Livestock in any economy cannot be overemphasized as it provides increased significant economic stability to rural households in the form of cash buffers, capital reserves, and creates a hedge against inflation.
According to reports, Livestock employs thirty percent of the rural populace but accounts only for less than ten percent of the Agricultural GDP and two to three percent of the National GDP, which highlights the sub-sector under-development.
In a bid to drive impactful change, L-PRES is strategically focused on selected value chains which include; Beef Cattle, poultry, cattle, waste management, micro livestock, pigs as well as sheep and goat.
The project apart from having a six year life span, is expected to cost about five hundred million dollars while the thirty six States are eligible for it.
Following his passion to make Kogi State the commercial hub of Livestock farming in Nigeria, the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello quickly keyed into the project by paying the counterpart fund and engaging an Agriculture Expert, Dr. Olufemi Bolarin as State Project Coordinator.
The Kogi Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) has made significant strides in achieving its objectives of enhancing livestock productivity, commercialization, and resilience among farmers in the State.
The success stories of the Project are enormous as the State Coordinating Office has made significant progress with the support and political will of the present Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo.
Recall that a Team from the National Office of the Project last year visited Confluence University of Science and Technology Osara for on the spot assessment of the site for the establishment of Livestock Service Centre (LSC) following the plan by the World Bank to establish five in the country.
The enabling environment provided by the Governor, State Implementation Committee, Management of the University and the State Project Coordinator necessitated Kogi State being the first to get the nod of the World Bank for the Centre.
This approval no doubt is a landmark achievement under the Dr. Olufemi Bolarin led management as the feat was achieved through hard work and strategic planning.
Also, it is on record with accolades from the National Coordinating Office of L-PRES that Kogi currently has the highest number of registered livestock farmers in the national database.
This comprehensive data collection effort has indeed ensured spontaneous interventions and effective resource allocation to the Confluence State.
In the same vein, transparency and accountability are key tools of success as Kogi L-PRES is now ranked third in Nigeria in terms of fund disbursement efficiency which demonstrates the ability of the Coordinating Office to mobilize and utilize resources effectively for the benefit of livestock farmers.
It is also worthy to note that over 500 livestock farmers along the poultry value chain mostly women and youths have been empowered with production, marketing, and processing inputs, an initiative that has significantly boosted poultry production and enhanced the livelihoods of beneficiaries.
Moved by the need to provide access to water for livestock farmers and their animals, Kogi L-PRES has drilled and completed fifteen solar-powered boreholes with three more across the State ongoing, to serve agro-pastoralist settlements and livestock markets.
Since provision of inputs is also important to the success of the Project, thirty fodder choppers have been distributed to 300 livestock farmers as well as two distributions of thousand one hundred kilograms of pasture seeds provided to two hundred and ten farmers.
Last year, over four hundred and twenty farmers were trained on the utilization of crop residues for livestock feed with distribution of processing machines to support the initiative towards ensuring sustainable feed practices.
In a similar development, over 500 extension agents and farmers have already been trained on Good Animal Husbandry Practices (GAHP), a development that enables livestock farmers to adopt best practices for improved productivity and animal welfare.
It is also remarkable to state that the Dr. Bolarin-led Kogi L-PRES is among the first set of states to successfully complete Stage One and transition to the highly competitive Investment Stage two of the Project.
This achievement is a testament to the meticulous strategic planning, execution, and dedication of the project management team.
Kogi L-PRES has also been ranked by the World Bank Group (WBG) and the National Coordinating Office (NCO) as top performing states, an indicator that the Project is on the right pedestal and the State on its way to prosperity in terms of Livestock farming.
With all these and more to come, the Project could best be described as a blessing to the people of Kogi State and the progress already made has demonstrated Kogi L-PRES’s commitment to its mandate.
The Leadership of Dr. Olufemi Bolarin, an Associate Professor should be commended for the dedication, Expertise and hard work demonstrated in the implementation of the Project so far.
Also, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and members of the State Implementation Committee should be applauded for showing political will and support to the success of the L-PRES Project.
All hands should also be on deck to ensure that the Project succeeds in the State in a bid to take advantage of the numerous borders shared with other States in a bid to make the Confluence State the Commercial hub of Livestock Farming in the country.
DANIEL OZIGI IS A PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR AND WRITES FROM LOKOJA, KOGI STATE*
