By: Muhammad Ibrahim, Sokoto.

The aim was to discuss livestock development priorities and potential implementation risks.

The event also aimed to gather input from stakeholders to identify areas of intervention and measures needed to achieve the project’s objectives.

L-PRES is a six-year World Bank-supported project focused on improving productivity, commercialisation, and resilience of selected livestock value chains. The project also seeks to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to respond to eligible crises and emergencies.

The state Project Coordinator of L-PRES, Mr. Sirajo Abubakar, emphasized the importance of stakeholder engagement in advancing the project’s mandate. He noted that the Sokoto state government, led by Governor Ahmed Aliyu, prioritizes agriculture as part of its nine-point SMART agenda.

Abubakar commended the L-PRES national office for initiating the stakeholder engagement and urged participants to contribute to developing an effective action plan. He appreciated the state government’s sustained support for the project.

The Executive Director of Global Peace Development, Mr. Ebruke Esike, explained that the engagement aimed to improve L-PRES operational procedures and implementation planning. The initiative seeks to identify measures for storage, processing, and marketing logistics, as well as develop grievance redress mechanisms and stakeholder engagement procedures.

The engagement will collect data from 12 states across Nigeria’s geo-political zones to develop a comprehensive stakeholder engagement framework for L-PRES and similar organizations. This framework is expected to strengthen investment in livestock production and contribute to economic growth.

The Chairman of the state Butchers Association, Malam Abdullahi Mujinyawa, commended L-PRES for organizing the meeting, noting it would address long-standing challenges faced by stakeholders in the sector.

The event highlights the collaborative efforts of L-PRES and stakeholders to improve the livestock industry in Nigeria, with potential benefits for economic growth and food security.