EKSG To Leverage On Livestock, Crops Production To Create Wealth, Employment

… As Oyebanji Inaugurates L-PRES Project Steering Committee

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji has expressed his administration’s readiness to leverage on livestock and crop production to create wealth through sustainable job opportunities for the people of state.

The Governor disclosed this in Ado- Ekiti on Friday while inaugurating the Steering Committee of the Livestock Production and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project . He said government would maximize the opportunity of the project to improve productivity and commercialization of targeted livestock production systems and strengthen the resilience of livelihoods including those affected by farmer-herder conflicts.

Governor Oyebanji explained that L-PRES project, a World Bank assisted Project in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as well as the State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has become a feasible option to restructure and upgrade the poultry facilities at Livestock Development Centre (LDC) Erifun to a livestock agribusiness center that would accommodate various livestock value chain, upgrade the central abattoir and cattle market along Iworoko road to guarantee public health and safety.

The Governor also said the state’s veterinary hospitals will be renovated and equipped with modern disease diagnostic kits as well as establish a modern cattle market as a huge source of revenue generation and job creation opportunities in the state.

He added that his government is supporting the implementation of the project for its potential in enhancing the already existing livestock value chains in the State.

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Maintaining that the project would not only transform the agricultural land scape of the state, but would also improve the livelihoods of farmers, the Governor said his administration has developed a strategy aimed at positioning the State as a viable investment destination for agro-investors and foreign direct investment.

He said Ekiti Special Agro-Processing Zone (SAPZ) was established to serve as a catalyst for economic growth and give investment opportunities in the state a facelift, adding that his administration has made tremendous efforts and rendered services that has laid a good foundation for livestock businesses to thrive profitably in the State.

While charging the Committee to provide policy guidelines, strategic orientation and direction for the project in the State, the Governor implore individuals, groups, cooperative societies and investors along the livestock value chain development in the State to capitalize on the project and make use of this great opportunity

“Ekiti State will leverage strategically on L-PRES to build strong institutions around agro -economic development, conflict resolution and grievances redress, capacity building, massive extension services, construction/renovation of livestock infrastructures and help to facilitate working capital to investors.

“L-PRES project has become a feasible option to restructure and upgrade the poultry facilities at Livestock Development Centre (LDC) Erifun to a livestock agribusiness centre that will accommodate various livestock value chain, upgrade the central abattoir and cattle market along Iworoko road to guarantee public health and safety”, the Governor asserted.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Boluwade Ebenezer, who appreciated the Governor for his commitment to the development of a sustainable commercial animal agriculture in the State through key intervention programme such as Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES), expressed his delight that Ekiti State was selected among other States in Nigeria to enlist in the project.

Boluwade said Ekiti State expressed interest to participate in the project because it’s a strategic input to the State’s long-term approach and desire of developing and transforming the livestock sub-sector.

He added that the State has all the preliminary conditions adding that its profile was rated as one of the best among the participating States.