Niger Government says plans are underway to partner with the southwestern states on livestock production and supply to the states.
Gov. Umaru Bago of Niger said this when he received a team on assessment of Livestock Productivity and Resilience Project (L-PRES) implementation in Minna on Tuesday.
Bago, represented by Alh. Abubakar Usman, Secretary to Niger Government, said that the state plans to build an abattoir in Jebba and Mokwa as hub for livestock production for the western states.
He said that the southwestern states such as Lagos, Oyo, Ogun and Osun would be the market for the already prepared meats.
“Niger is taking its rightful place as a food producer for Nigeria and beyond using its arable land. We realised the need to use our assets to move ahead.
“We have embarked on gigantic agriculture projects because agriculture is the only way out, so we need World Bank support for that,” he said.
The governor commended the World Bank for the various intervention programmes in the state and pledged to provide necessary support to the team while on assessment tour.
Earlier, Malam Sanusi Abubakar, National Project Coordinator, L-PRES, said the team was in the state to access the level of implementation of the project and review the 2024 annual work plan.
He said that the L-PRES project commenced six years ago to strengthen the livelihood of people affected by farmer/herders conflict in some parts of the country.
In his remarks, Mr Mami Ija, Commissioner for Livestock in Niger, said the L-PRES project was aimed at improving livestock productivity.
He said it was also to enhance resilience and promote commercialisation of animal health nutrition.
Ija explained that the project seeks to contribute to poverty reduction, enhance food security and sustainable agriculture development in participating states.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that L-PRES is a six year project with development objective to improve livestock productivity, resilience and commercialisation of selected value chains.
It’s also aimed at strengthening the country’s capacity to respond to imminent crisis situations.
NAN
