KOGI L-PRES HOLDS STAKEHOLDERS’ ENGAGEMENT, DISTRIBUTES MOTORCYCLES AND EQUIPMENT TO BOOST LIVESTOCK SERVICES

By Salawu Nneka Patience

The Kogi State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (Kogi L-PRES) has distributed 21 motorcycles to Livestock Extension Agents across the 21 Local Government Areas of the state to enhance mobility and strengthen livestock extension and advisory service delivery within livestock value chain clusters.

In addition, 1,000 Livestock Extension Manuals were distributed to livestock farmers across 64 value chain clusters, alongside veterinary medical equipment including laboratory tools, meat inspection kits, ambulatory kits, and surgical kits—handed over to the Department of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Livestock Development. The initiative aims to improve animal disease diagnosis, veterinary services, and food safety in Kogi State.

The state’s Commissioner for Livestock Development, Dr. Olufemi Bolarin, who flagged off the distribution exercise in Lokoja, said the effort was part of activities marking a One-Day Stakeholders’ Engagement on Effective Livestock Extension and Advisory Service Delivery.

Dr. Bolarin urged the Livestock Extension Agents to make proper use of the motorcycles and equipment for their intended purposes, emphasizing that they were provided strictly for extension and advisory services not for personal or commercial ventures.

He also charged the L-PRES State Project Coordinator, Mr. Otaru Abdulkabir, to continue prioritizing staff welfare and remuneration to enhance productivity in the livestock subsector.

“The economic strength of any nation depends on the level of its agricultural transformation, which remains the foundation for socio-economic development and job creation,” the Commissioner stated.

Earlier in his presentation, the L-PRES State Project Coordinator, Mr. Otaru Abdulkabir, outlined the structure of livestock extension and advisory service delivery in the state. He expressed satisfaction with the adoption of the Farmer-to-Farmer Extension Model, which allows lead livestock farmers and cluster coordinators to efficiently manage extension activities across value chains.

He further disclosed that livestock extension services in the state have gone digital, with extension workers now using Kobo Tool to capture real-time data during service delivery. Abdulkabir lauded the collaboration between Kogi L-PRES and the Kogi Agricultural Development Project (ADP), noting that it had produced positive and impactful results that would be sustained in the coming years.

He also appreciated Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for providing an enabling environment for L-PRES operations to thrive in the state.

In their goodwill messages, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Timothy Ojomah; the Managing Director of Kogi ADP, Dr. Bello Ogirima; the State Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Mrs. Abah Helen commended the initiative.

They described the gesture as a major step toward enhancing livestock productivity and urged the government to guard against the “ghost farmers” syndrome to ensure that genuine farmers benefit from government support.

A beneficiary, Mr. Daniel Arome, expressed gratitude to the state government and L-PRES for the support, pledging to put the distributed facilities to proper use for the advancement of livestock farming in Kogi State.