By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The Kogi State House of Assembly has lauded the management of the Kogi Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (Kogi L-PRES) for its effective implementation of livestock development initiatives across the state.
The commendation came during an oversight visit by the House Committee on Livestock Development to the L-PRES office on Friday in Lokoja.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Asema Baba Haruna, who represents the Adavi State Constituency, described the visit as the committee’s first official engagement with the L-PRES management in the current legislative session.
According to Haruna, the purpose of the oversight visit was to fulfill the Assembly’s constitutional duty of ensuring accountability, transparency, and efficient project delivery across the state’s agricultural sectors.
“As representatives of the people, our committee is deeply concerned about the challenges facing the livestock sub-sector—such as animal diseases, inadequate veterinary services, poor infrastructure, and recurring herder-farmer conflicts,” he stated.
“We are confident in the leadership of the State Project Coordinator, Mr. Abdulkabir Otaru. The House is proud of him and his team, and we will continue to support them through legislative actions and robust policy frameworks that enhance project outcomes.”
In his response, Mr. Abdulkabir Onoruoyiza Otaru, State Project Coordinator of Kogi L-PRES, expressed gratitude to the lawmakers for their visit and pledged continued collaboration.
He noted that the engagement provided an opportunity to brief the committee on the project’s achievements, milestones, and challenges since its inception three years ago.
Otaru explained that L-PRES, funded by the World Bank, is designed to modernize and strengthen livestock production systems, promote animal health, enhance market access, and improve livelihoods for livestock farmers across Kogi State.
“The L-PRES project seeks to ensure sustainable livestock productivity, promote food security, and support resilient livelihoods,” Otaru said.
He highlighted key achievements of the project, including the training of over 4,300 livestock farmers and stakeholders in areas such as business development, livestock financing, crop residue utilization, antimicrobial resistance management, and artificial insemination techniques.
Otaru also revealed that the World Bank had approved the rehabilitation of nine livestock markets across the state, the Phase 1 construction of the Livestock Service Centre (LSC) in Osara, and the establishment of a Model Veterinary Hospital in Kogi State.
He commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for providing an enabling environment and ensuring the payment of the state’s counterpart funds, which has been instrumental to the smooth implementation of the L-PRES project.
The Kogi L-PRES continues to play a crucial role in advancing the state’s livestock sector through sustainable interventions that promote animal health, productivity, and economic empowerment for rural communities.
