The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar, has held a virtual meeting with Commissioners of Agriculture across the 36 states of the federation to address the issues around the implementation of the National livestock transformation Plan (NLTP).
The meeting of yesterday, December 7, was also attended by representatives of the Federal Capital Territory and other stakeholders and also discussed the State Level Project Socialisation on Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES).
The minister, who, according to a statement today, December 8 by Juliet Okeh, an Information Officer, in the ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, was represented by Mrs. Winnie Lai-Solarin, the Director, Animal Husbandry Services Department in the Ministry, said that the L-PRES program, is a project to support the actualization of the NLTP.
”The L-PRES programme is a project is targeted at addressing the age-long low investment profile in the sub-sector to improve livestock productivity, resilience, and commercialization of selected value chains, as well as strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to crisis or emergency.”
He said that the L-PRES project would facilitate the achievement of food security, reduce incessant conflict between farmers and herdsmen and cushion the effect of a COVID-19 Pandemic on the livestock industry in alignment with Government strategies and policies.
“It is glaring with the current priorities in the World’s food supply systems, that the next issues of focus will be animal protein supply chains and its nexus with global welfare and security.
”Nations’ ability to provide good quality and affordable animal proteins has not only been linked with their pecuniary status, it has been confirmed to have direct relationship with human capital development and intellectual quotient.
“Although Nigeria Livestock subsector provides about 36.5 per cent of the total protein intake of Nigerians.
“It also contributes about 8-10 per cent of the Agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 5 per cent of the National Gross Domestic Product and has been a key contributor to poverty reduction, especially in rural areas.
“We are yet to take full advantage of the regional markets under our influence and have in recent times spent huge amounts of forex on importation of products that can be produced effortlessly in the country.
”Importation of dairy products where we spend about US $1.3 Billion annually according to the CBN (2019) is a prominent example of the above narrative.
”The successful implementation of the National Livestock Transformation Plan will close importation gaps and address other challenges to livestock development in Nigeria.”
This was even as the Country Director of the World Bank, Dr. Shubham Chadhri, said that the programme is designed to realise the full potential in the livestock sector in Nigeria and urged state governments to key into it.
Chadhri said that implementing the programme across the nation would go a long way in the reduction of poverty, providing job opportunities, and grow the nation’s GDP.
He reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to partner with the Federal and State Governments for the realization of the L-PRES project in Nigeria.
Chadhri commended President Muhammadu Buhari for promoting the implementation of the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) as national priority and encouraged the state governments to embrace the program.
In her presentation on the update on L-PRES Project Preparatio, Lai- Solarin, said that the State Commissioners and participants that the Federal government and the World Bank are ready to have the project take-off in 2022.
She appealed to the state governments to facilitate the project implementation by increasing their budgetary allocation for livestock development, giving adequate state counterpart financing and providing office spaces, vehicles, and other basic facilities.
She said that these would demonstrate their commitment and readiness to implement the project in their states.
The director, who said that so far, states and the FCT have expressed interest in the project, appealed to others to take advantage and identify with the project.

National Agricultural Lands Development Authority (NALDA), has embarked on plan to establish markets for vegetables across the country to prevent post-harvest losses.

The Executive Secretary of the body, Prince Paul Ikonne, in a statement today, December 7 in Abuja, said that the markets are necessary because of the perishable nature of vegetables, adding that such markets would be furnished with state of the art facility for farmers to store their vegetables

“Having provided us with the enabling environment, NALDA will provide farmers with ‘NALDA’s Market’ for vegetable and with a land. That project will be completed before the end of February 2022.

“NALDA will also site the first Integrated Farm Estate in Gombe State. We enjoin you to also make yourself available as we lay the foundation by the end of this month.

“We want to thank Gov. Muhammad Yahaya of Gombe for the commitment towards achieving President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision of ensuring food security, engaging youths and reducing unemployment.”

The executive secretary appreciated relevant stakeholders for their partnership and called on other states to collaborate with the Federal Government for the benefit of the people and the entire country.

“Your excellency,  I urge you to continue to create the enabling environment for federal projects and support for NALDA cannot go unnoticed.

”We position ourselves to support the President’s vision of lifting millions of people out of poverty and engage them in the entire agriculture production value chain.

“And NALDA will engage more youths among farmers if you provide more land as an agric-friendly governor,” he said.

Yahaya commended NALDA for the project and promised to support all the agency’s ongoing projects as they would benefit Gombe people and boost agriculture.

Source: NAN.