By Iroyin Yoruba Television
The Federal Government and the World Bank have expanded the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project, known as L-PRES, to 10 additional states as Nigeria steps up efforts to transform its livestock sector and increase the contribution of animal production to food security, employment and economic growth.
The expansion was announced during the Federal Government and World Bank L-PRES Implementation Support Mission taking place in Yola, Adamawa State.
The five-day mission, which began on October 5, has brought together representatives of states already participating in the programme, newly admitted states, federal government institutions, the World Bank and technical stakeholders involved in Nigeria's livestock industry.
With the latest expansion, L-PRES now covers 19 states.
The programme's wider reach is expected to give more livestock farmers and other participants in the value chain access to interventions designed to improve productivity, strengthen resilience and create better commercial opportunities.
TEN MORE STATES JOIN THE PROGRAMME
The latest expansion brings the number of participating states to 19.
The states now covered by the programme include Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, Borno, Plateau, Niger, Kwara, Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, Edo, Enugu, Ebonyi, Ondo, Ekiti and Oyo.
The addition of the 10 states significantly increases the geographical reach of the programme.
For Nigeria's livestock sector, broader coverage is important because production challenges vary considerably between regions.
Farmers in northern states may face different challenges from those in the South, while livestock markets, water availability, animal-health conditions and grazing patterns can differ from one location to another.
A wider programme therefore creates an opportunity for interventions to be adapted to the specific conditions of participating states.
GOVERNMENT WANTS GREATER IMPACT FOR FARMERS
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, said the government wants L-PRES interventions to produce practical and sustainable benefits for livestock farmers and other value-chain participants.
Speaking during the implementation mission, the minister described L-PRES as an important part of the Federal Government's efforts to transform Nigeria's livestock sector.
He urged project teams to examine implementation carefully, identify areas requiring improvement and ensure that investments produce results that farmers and communities can see.
The minister's emphasis on implementation reflects the importance of moving beyond announcements and ensuring that projects actually reach intended beneficiaries.
For farmers, the value of a development programme is ultimately determined by whether it improves access to services, reduces production challenges and increases the opportunity to earn sustainable income.
WORLD BANK SUPPORTS THE PROGRAMME
The World Bank is supporting L-PRES as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria's livestock sector.
The project focuses on improving productivity, resilience and commercial opportunities across the livestock value chain.
World Bank participation also brings technical support and implementation oversight.
The Implementation Support Mission provides an opportunity for federal and state teams to review progress, exchange experiences and identify challenges affecting project delivery.
World Bank Task Team Leader Manivel Sene and Co-Task Team Leader Dr Chidozie Anyiro are among the stakeholders participating in the mission.
The presence of technical experts is expected to support discussions on how existing interventions can be strengthened as the programme expands to additional states.
ANIMAL HEALTH IS A KEY PRIORITY
One of the major areas of L-PRES intervention is animal health.
Livestock diseases can cause substantial losses for farmers by reducing productivity, increasing treatment costs and, in severe cases, causing animal deaths.
Strong veterinary services are therefore essential to a productive livestock industry.
Improving animal-health systems can include better access to veterinary professionals, vaccination programmes, disease surveillance, diagnostic services and other preventive measures.
For smallholder farmers, early access to veterinary services can be particularly important because the loss of even a small number of animals can have a significant effect on household income.
The expansion of L-PRES creates an opportunity to extend such services to more livestock-producing communities.
WATER AND PASTURE DEVELOPMENT
Water availability is another major issue affecting livestock production.
Animals require reliable access to safe water, particularly in areas where seasonal conditions can make natural water sources unreliable.
L-PRES interventions include water provision as part of the broader effort to strengthen livestock production.
Pasture and feed development are also important.
The availability and cost of animal feed directly affect productivity and profitability.
When feed becomes scarce or expensive, farmers may struggle to maintain healthy animals and achieve expected production levels.
Improved pasture development, feed systems and access to appropriate animal nutrition can therefore contribute to stronger livestock performance.
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS
Livestock development also depends on physical infrastructure.
Markets, veterinary facilities, water points, animal-resting facilities and other infrastructure can influence how efficiently animals move through the production and marketing system.
Poor infrastructure can increase transportation costs, create health risks and reduce access to formal markets.
L-PRES is therefore supporting infrastructure development as part of its wider approach to transforming the livestock value chain.
For farmers, improved infrastructure could reduce some of the costs associated with production and marketing.
It could also make it easier for livestock and livestock products to reach consumers.
IMPROVING MARKET ACCESS
Production alone does not guarantee better livelihoods for livestock farmers.
Farmers need reliable markets where animals and animal products can be sold at reasonable prices.
Market access can be affected by transportation, infrastructure, information, animal-health requirements and the availability of buyers.
L-PRES includes market access among its areas of intervention.
Strengthening connections between farmers and markets could help producers obtain better commercial opportunities and encourage investment in livestock enterprises.
More efficient markets can also benefit consumers by improving the availability and movement of meat, milk and other livestock products.
LIVESTOCK AND FOOD SECURITY
The expansion of L-PRES comes at a time when Nigeria is seeking to strengthen domestic food production.
Livestock contributes to food security through the production of meat, milk, eggs and other animal products.
A more productive livestock sector can increase domestic supplies and reduce some of the pressure associated with dependence on imported products.
However, increasing production requires attention to animal health, feed, water, breeding, infrastructure and market systems.
This is why the government's approach is focused on the value chain rather than production alone.
The objective is to strengthen the different stages through which livestock moves from farmers to consumers.
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES IN LIVESTOCK
The livestock sector also has significant economic potential.
Beyond farmers, the industry supports veterinarians, animal-health workers, feed producers, transporters, traders, processors, market operators and other businesses.
Expansion of the sector could therefore create employment opportunities across several parts of the economy.
The Federal Government has been seeking to position livestock as a stronger contributor to economic growth and export earnings.
Improving productivity and quality could help Nigerian livestock businesses become more competitive in domestic and international markets.
However, achieving export competitiveness requires reliable animal-health systems, quality standards, traceability, infrastructure and efficient processing.
BUILDING A MORE RESILIENT SECTOR
The word “resilience” in L-PRES reflects the need for livestock systems to withstand economic, environmental and social shocks.
Farmers can be affected by disease outbreaks, feed shortages, water scarcity, insecurity, market fluctuations and extreme weather.
A resilient livestock sector needs systems capable of responding to these challenges.
Veterinary surveillance can help identify diseases early.
Water infrastructure can reduce dependence on unreliable natural sources.
Better feed systems can reduce the impact of seasonal shortages.
Improved markets can give farmers more options when selling their animals.
The programme's expansion provides an opportunity to strengthen these forms of resilience across more states.
DATA IS BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT
The Federal Government is also working to improve the quality of information available about Nigeria's livestock sector.
The National Livestock Information Management System is expected to provide a more integrated platform for collecting, managing and analysing livestock data.
Reliable data can help policymakers understand the size and distribution of livestock populations, production trends, disease risks and infrastructure requirements.
Better information can also support investment decisions.
For example, knowing where livestock populations are concentrated can help governments determine where veterinary facilities, water infrastructure and markets may be most needed.
Data can therefore become an important foundation for more targeted agricultural spending.
THE CHALLENGE OF IMPLEMENTATION
The expansion of L-PRES increases the programme's potential impact, but it also creates a larger implementation challenge.
Managing projects across 19 states requires strong coordination between federal institutions, state governments, the World Bank, project offices and local stakeholders.
Each state also has different institutional capacities and livestock-production systems.
Maintaining consistent standards while allowing states to address their specific needs will therefore be important.
The Implementation Support Mission is intended partly to address this challenge by allowing participating states to share experiences and discuss what has worked and what requires improvement.
LESSONS FROM EXISTING STATES
Representatives from states that have already participated in L-PRES are using the mission to present achievements and implementation experiences.
Such peer learning can help newly admitted states avoid repeating mistakes and adapt successful approaches.
The experience of one state may provide useful lessons for another state facing similar livestock challenges.
This is particularly valuable when programmes are expanded rapidly.
Instead of every state developing solutions independently, successful approaches can be shared and adapted to local conditions.
BENEFITS MUST REACH FARMERS
As L-PRES expands, one of the central questions will be how effectively the programme reaches farmers at community level.
Large-scale government programmes can have significant budgets and ambitious objectives, but their ultimate impact depends on implementation on the ground.
Farmers need to see improvements in the services and infrastructure available to them.
They need access to veterinary care, water, feed, markets, training and other support promised through the programme.
The Federal Government has therefore placed emphasis on ensuring that investments translate into sustainable results for farmers and other value-chain actors.
SUPPORTING PASTORAL AND FARMING COMMUNITIES
Livestock production is closely connected to rural communities across Nigeria.
Pastoralists, sedentary livestock farmers and mixed farming households all participate in the sector in different ways.
Improving livestock productivity can strengthen household livelihoods and potentially reduce some of the economic pressures that contribute to disputes over land and resources.
However, livestock development must also be accompanied by responsible management of land, water and animal movement.
Coordination between farmers, pastoralists, traditional institutions and government agencies will remain important as the sector expands.
FROM SUBSISTENCE TO COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION
One of the broader ambitions behind livestock reform is to encourage a transition from predominantly small-scale production toward a more commercially organised sector.
Commercialisation does not mean eliminating smallholder farmers.
Instead, it can involve connecting smaller producers to formal markets, financial services, veterinary systems, processors and other businesses.
When farmers become more integrated into organised value chains, they may gain access to better information, technology and market opportunities.
This could improve productivity while allowing more households to participate in the economic growth generated by the livestock industry.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
The L-PRES Implementation Support Mission continues through October 10 in Adamawa State.
Technical sessions, progress reviews and discussions are expected to focus on implementation challenges, coordination and strategies for accelerating delivery.
The onboarding of 10 additional states will require project teams to establish effective structures and begin implementing interventions suited to local needs.
The coming months will therefore be important in determining how quickly the expanded programme translates into practical support.
A WIDER LIVESTOCK AGENDA
The expansion of L-PRES represents one component of the Federal Government's wider effort to modernise Nigeria's livestock sector.
The government is seeking improvements in productivity, animal health, infrastructure, markets, data and commercial opportunities.
For farmers, the priority is straightforward: better services, healthier animals, improved productivity and stronger access to markets.
For government, the larger objective is to make livestock a more significant contributor to food security, employment and economic growth.
The World Bank partnership provides additional technical and financial support, but long-term success will depend on effective implementation by Nigerian institutions and state governments.
With the programme now covering 19 states, the scale of the opportunity has increased considerably.
The immediate challenge is ensuring that expansion does not dilute the quality of interventions.
If the project can maintain strong implementation while reaching more farmers, the expanded L-PRES programme could help strengthen Nigeria's livestock value chain and create more resilient agricultural livelihoods across participating states.